Chapter 62
: Is there also a reward for acts of bravery?
Despite Mr. Zhengye's extreme anxiety and repeated emphasis that there was still a boy in danger in the alternate dimension, the CEA stationed on the periphery of the rainbow anomaly only had one basic detection team on duty at the moment.
After all, who would have thought that this rainbow-colored alternate dimension, which was only judged as a spatial anomaly and where people frequently went missing, would actually harbor a ferocious monster?
According to CEA's standard procedures, the search and rescue operation can only proceed safely once the entire heavy defense force is assembled and equipment is in place. A small number of exploration team members must not be allowed to risk their lives.
But looking at Mr. Masano pleading in front of him, and listening to him describe again and again the boy who stayed behind alone to restrain the monster, Captain Sato's heart began to waver.
Zhengye kept recounting the whole process, telling everyone that the boy was a field reporter for Xindu Daily, a media partner of CEA. He was young, brave, and sunny. In order to save the lives of his family of four, he did not hesitate to lure away the giant beast alone and shoulder all the dangers by himself.
With lives at stake and every second counting, Captain Sato immediately made a decision. Meanwhile, team member Xiong Er quickly retrieved the monitoring data and accurately calculated the stabilization time of the alternate dimension.
Captain Sato decisively broke with conventional procedures, temporarily drawing on elite reconnaissance personnel to form a rapid advance search and rescue team.
The team was fully prepared and quickly passed through the inverted rainbow passage into the alternate dimension, but as soon as they entered the forest, everyone was instantly stunned.
The forest terrain that Masano had described had completely changed by now.
The entire forest was in ruins, with giant trees snapped in half, thick trunks cracked and fallen, and layers of dead branches and rubble piled up on the ground.
The once smooth and solid mountain road was plowed into several deep ravines by a tremendous force, and the ground was covered with cracks and bombardment craters.
Large areas of the mountain cliffs in the distance have peeled away, with debris and landslides visible everywhere. The cliff face is pitted and covered with charred marks left by high-energy bombardment.
The entire land seemed to have experienced a violent and devastating battle, with terrifying traces of giant creatures fighting everywhere, creating an overwhelming sense of oppression.
After a brief moment of shock, Captain Sato quickly calmed down and issued an order in a deep voice: time was of the essence, the alternate dimension could collapse and close at any moment, and everyone had to race against time to search for the boy.
The team members maintained a three-person search pattern, quickly tracing and searching along the battlefield tracks.
Not long after, a team member in charge of the perimeter reconnaissance reported that tire tracks left by a motorcycle had been found in the broken soil of the forest.
Although the intense battle destroyed most of the ground tracks, technicians determined, based on the freshness of the soil and the compaction marks, that these were brand new tire tracks left within just a few hours.
The team immediately followed the trail of the clues and quickly advanced their search.
A moment later, the team members shouted again: "Captain! Target spotted ahead! Motorcycle and missing person found!"
The group quickly rushed over and saw a motorcycle parked quietly in a clearing in the woods, while a slender young man leaned against a tree trunk not far away.
At that moment, Yun Yu, who had just finished a battle and was in pain all over, heard the commotion of the rescuers. Despite the excruciating pain and exhaustion, she slowly straightened up and gently waved to the approaching search and rescue team.
After confirming that everyone was safe, the team members immediately went to help Yun Yu into the rescue vehicle, while carefully securing Su Mo's motorcycle, and together they took her away from Rainbow Magic Realm.
Sitting in the rescue vehicle, Yun Yu was secretly uneasy.
His biggest worry was that CEA would notice something was wrong with him and then give him a photon skin rejuvenation treatment.
But the expected stringent inspections did not materialize.
The team members were very gentle and considerate. They immediately draped a warm blanket over Yun Yu, who was feeling a bit cold, and carefully inquired about his physical condition and whether he was feeling unwell.
Yun Yu suppressed his anxiety and shook his head to indicate that he was fine. The vehicle then took him directly to the temporary logistics inquiry tent.
The temporary campsite was poorly equipped, with tables, chairs, and other equipment hastily arranged and set up, revealing a sense of haste.
Yun Yu sat in the chair, looking at Captain Sato, whom she had seen countless times in news reports, and couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
Captain Sato, with his keen observation skills, immediately saw through the boy's restraint and unease, and took the initiative to soften his tone and reassure him:
"Don't be nervous. We're just conducting a routine inquiry to understand the situation inside the alternate dimension. We won't do anything unnecessary to you."
After speaking, the usually dignified captain revealed a friendly smile, his tone full of sincerity: "I have heard Mr. Masano explain everything in its entirety. You are a very brave young man. Knowing that there was a giant monster, you still dared to stay behind alone to draw away the danger and save the lives of a stranger's family. Honestly, if it were me, I might not be able to do what you did so bravely and selflessly."
The sincere praise made Yun Yu feel a little embarrassed. He knew that if he didn't possess the power of the Giant of Light, he would never have been so decisive in drawing away the monster. This decisiveness ultimately relied on the power of Sirius.
Subsequently, under Captain Sato's patient and meticulous questioning, Yun Yu slowly sorted out her thoughts and recounted her entire experience after entering the Rainbow Magic Realm in an orderly manner.
From the unusual rainbow without rain, to accidentally entering another dimension, to confirming the danger of the space, to spending the whole night with Masano's family, waiting for the passage to open, and finally encountering a monster, to voluntarily covering the retreat alone, all the plots are told in detail.
When talking about the most dangerous moments of battle, Yun Yu deliberately chose her tone, revealing just the right amount of lingering fear and relief, and slowly began to speak:
"Just as that giant silver monster was about to catch up with me, Ultraman Sirius suddenly appeared."
His face showed a look of reminiscence: "He was like a god, instantly stopping the raging monster, fighting it alone, and finally successfully destroying it completely. Then he turned into countless particles of light and dissipated into the mountains and forests. Not long after, you came in and found me."
After listening to Yun Yu's complete account, Captain Sato lowered his head and pondered for a moment, his eyes filled with solemnity and approval. He then stood up and took the initiative to extend his hand to Yun Yu.
Yun Yu was slightly taken aback, and quickly raised her hand to shake his.
"Thank you for your hard work." Captain Sato said solemnly, "Thank you for your sacrifice and contribution to protecting the people. We will arrange for a special person and vehicle to take you home safely. We will also apply for a special award for bravery to recognize your heroic act. Furthermore, we will not pursue the matter of you impersonating a CEA member."
After finishing his sentence, he changed the subject and added seriously, "However, all the information about Rainbow Realm is classified as top secret. You will need to sign a confidentiality agreement to prevent the spread of misinformation and public panic. I hope you can understand and cooperate."
These words, though seemingly a discussion or inquiry, actually left Yun Yu with absolutely no room to refuse.
Yun Yu didn't care about the confidentiality agreement, after all, he wasn't a big mouth. But when he heard about the reward for bravery, he instantly felt a little more expectant and nodded in agreement without hesitation.
Soon, Yunyu successfully completed the process of taking a statement and signing the confidentiality agreement. Following the staff's instructions, she walked towards the waiting area where she would be picked up by a designated person.
But as soon as he reached the corner of the venue, he spotted a familiar figure.
Su Mo was standing against the wall, dressed in a smart field uniform, exuding a dashing air, with her motorcycle parked steadily beside her.
Noticing the movement, Su Mo looked up, a slight smile playing on her lips, and waved to him casually, greeting him:
"oi!"
----
"To be honest, I waited for you there for ages. I even started to suspect that you had stolen my car."
Su Mo straddled the motorcycle, started the engine, and her soft laughter drifted away on the evening breeze.
The motorcycle slowly drove away from the temporary camp. The evening breeze in the mountains blew freely through her long hair, the black strands flying wildly, sweeping across Yun Yu's cheeks on the back seat again and again, carrying a faint, refreshing scent that made her feel slightly itchy.
"Next time I really steal your motorcycle, you'll behave." Although Yun Yu couldn't open her eyes because Su Mo's hair hit her, she didn't show any weakness.
"Then don't expect me to give you a ride on my motorcycle next time," Su Mo replied with a smile. But then she thought of the young man behind her, who had risked his life to enter the alternate dimension just to stop someone completely unrelated to her. She couldn't help but sigh.
"After this incident, I'm starting to believe your claim that you were just helping someone along the way and that's why you were getting food there during your temporary shelter."
"So you mean you didn't believe it before?"
"To be honest, no one would readily believe what someone says before understanding their character, right?" Su Mo looked straight ahead, not directly answering Yun Yu's question, but instead uttering a very realistic statement. However, Su Mo quickly added, her tone carrying a barely perceptible softness:
"However, after reading Mr. Masano's account of today's events, I must say, you are both brave and gentle."
Gentle praise fell on her ear, the evening breeze became even gentler, the motorcycle slowed down, and her long, flowing hair gradually calmed down, no longer brushing against Yunyu's cheek.
Yun Yu slowly opened her eyes, her clear, bright eyes reflecting the passing tree shadows and sunset. After a moment's thought, she said:
"There's no other way; you can't just sit and wait to die when something happens!"
"Yes, we can't just sit and wait to die when something happens." Su Mo gently repeated Yun Yu's words, then changed her tone, adopting a playful and mischievous one, and said softly:
"By the way, I took care of things at the convenience store while you were missing. I even took my CEA certificate and went to your boss to ask for two days off for you. You don't need to worry about being absent. Just go home and rest today."
Upon hearing this, Yun Yu, who had been worried about being fired by her boss for missing work yesterday, instantly brightened up: "Thank you so much, boss!"
"What's wrong? Why not call her 'stepmother'?"
"That's a different price."
"..."
Upon hearing this, Su Mo was momentarily speechless. Only the evening breeze gently swept past the car, accompanied by the two people's lighthearted laughter, as they drove gently forward. The noise subsided, and the afterglow of the setting sun spread across the entire road, leaving only the two of them chatting leisurely.
After all, who would have thought that this rainbow-colored alternate dimension, which was only judged as a spatial anomaly and where people frequently went missing, would actually harbor a ferocious monster?
According to CEA's standard procedures, the search and rescue operation can only proceed safely once the entire heavy defense force is assembled and equipment is in place. A small number of exploration team members must not be allowed to risk their lives.
But looking at Mr. Masano pleading in front of him, and listening to him describe again and again the boy who stayed behind alone to restrain the monster, Captain Sato's heart began to waver.
Zhengye kept recounting the whole process, telling everyone that the boy was a field reporter for Xindu Daily, a media partner of CEA. He was young, brave, and sunny. In order to save the lives of his family of four, he did not hesitate to lure away the giant beast alone and shoulder all the dangers by himself.
With lives at stake and every second counting, Captain Sato immediately made a decision. Meanwhile, team member Xiong Er quickly retrieved the monitoring data and accurately calculated the stabilization time of the alternate dimension.
Captain Sato decisively broke with conventional procedures, temporarily drawing on elite reconnaissance personnel to form a rapid advance search and rescue team.
The team was fully prepared and quickly passed through the inverted rainbow passage into the alternate dimension, but as soon as they entered the forest, everyone was instantly stunned.
The forest terrain that Masano had described had completely changed by now.
The entire forest was in ruins, with giant trees snapped in half, thick trunks cracked and fallen, and layers of dead branches and rubble piled up on the ground.
The once smooth and solid mountain road was plowed into several deep ravines by a tremendous force, and the ground was covered with cracks and bombardment craters.
Large areas of the mountain cliffs in the distance have peeled away, with debris and landslides visible everywhere. The cliff face is pitted and covered with charred marks left by high-energy bombardment.
The entire land seemed to have experienced a violent and devastating battle, with terrifying traces of giant creatures fighting everywhere, creating an overwhelming sense of oppression.
After a brief moment of shock, Captain Sato quickly calmed down and issued an order in a deep voice: time was of the essence, the alternate dimension could collapse and close at any moment, and everyone had to race against time to search for the boy.
The team members maintained a three-person search pattern, quickly tracing and searching along the battlefield tracks.
Not long after, a team member in charge of the perimeter reconnaissance reported that tire tracks left by a motorcycle had been found in the broken soil of the forest.
Although the intense battle destroyed most of the ground tracks, technicians determined, based on the freshness of the soil and the compaction marks, that these were brand new tire tracks left within just a few hours.
The team immediately followed the trail of the clues and quickly advanced their search.
A moment later, the team members shouted again: "Captain! Target spotted ahead! Motorcycle and missing person found!"
The group quickly rushed over and saw a motorcycle parked quietly in a clearing in the woods, while a slender young man leaned against a tree trunk not far away.
At that moment, Yun Yu, who had just finished a battle and was in pain all over, heard the commotion of the rescuers. Despite the excruciating pain and exhaustion, she slowly straightened up and gently waved to the approaching search and rescue team.
After confirming that everyone was safe, the team members immediately went to help Yun Yu into the rescue vehicle, while carefully securing Su Mo's motorcycle, and together they took her away from Rainbow Magic Realm.
Sitting in the rescue vehicle, Yun Yu was secretly uneasy.
His biggest worry was that CEA would notice something was wrong with him and then give him a photon skin rejuvenation treatment.
But the expected stringent inspections did not materialize.
The team members were very gentle and considerate. They immediately draped a warm blanket over Yun Yu, who was feeling a bit cold, and carefully inquired about his physical condition and whether he was feeling unwell.
Yun Yu suppressed his anxiety and shook his head to indicate that he was fine. The vehicle then took him directly to the temporary logistics inquiry tent.
The temporary campsite was poorly equipped, with tables, chairs, and other equipment hastily arranged and set up, revealing a sense of haste.
Yun Yu sat in the chair, looking at Captain Sato, whom she had seen countless times in news reports, and couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
Captain Sato, with his keen observation skills, immediately saw through the boy's restraint and unease, and took the initiative to soften his tone and reassure him:
"Don't be nervous. We're just conducting a routine inquiry to understand the situation inside the alternate dimension. We won't do anything unnecessary to you."
After speaking, the usually dignified captain revealed a friendly smile, his tone full of sincerity: "I have heard Mr. Masano explain everything in its entirety. You are a very brave young man. Knowing that there was a giant monster, you still dared to stay behind alone to draw away the danger and save the lives of a stranger's family. Honestly, if it were me, I might not be able to do what you did so bravely and selflessly."
The sincere praise made Yun Yu feel a little embarrassed. He knew that if he didn't possess the power of the Giant of Light, he would never have been so decisive in drawing away the monster. This decisiveness ultimately relied on the power of Sirius.
Subsequently, under Captain Sato's patient and meticulous questioning, Yun Yu slowly sorted out her thoughts and recounted her entire experience after entering the Rainbow Magic Realm in an orderly manner.
From the unusual rainbow without rain, to accidentally entering another dimension, to confirming the danger of the space, to spending the whole night with Masano's family, waiting for the passage to open, and finally encountering a monster, to voluntarily covering the retreat alone, all the plots are told in detail.
When talking about the most dangerous moments of battle, Yun Yu deliberately chose her tone, revealing just the right amount of lingering fear and relief, and slowly began to speak:
"Just as that giant silver monster was about to catch up with me, Ultraman Sirius suddenly appeared."
His face showed a look of reminiscence: "He was like a god, instantly stopping the raging monster, fighting it alone, and finally successfully destroying it completely. Then he turned into countless particles of light and dissipated into the mountains and forests. Not long after, you came in and found me."
After listening to Yun Yu's complete account, Captain Sato lowered his head and pondered for a moment, his eyes filled with solemnity and approval. He then stood up and took the initiative to extend his hand to Yun Yu.
Yun Yu was slightly taken aback, and quickly raised her hand to shake his.
"Thank you for your hard work." Captain Sato said solemnly, "Thank you for your sacrifice and contribution to protecting the people. We will arrange for a special person and vehicle to take you home safely. We will also apply for a special award for bravery to recognize your heroic act. Furthermore, we will not pursue the matter of you impersonating a CEA member."
After finishing his sentence, he changed the subject and added seriously, "However, all the information about Rainbow Realm is classified as top secret. You will need to sign a confidentiality agreement to prevent the spread of misinformation and public panic. I hope you can understand and cooperate."
These words, though seemingly a discussion or inquiry, actually left Yun Yu with absolutely no room to refuse.
Yun Yu didn't care about the confidentiality agreement, after all, he wasn't a big mouth. But when he heard about the reward for bravery, he instantly felt a little more expectant and nodded in agreement without hesitation.
Soon, Yunyu successfully completed the process of taking a statement and signing the confidentiality agreement. Following the staff's instructions, she walked towards the waiting area where she would be picked up by a designated person.
But as soon as he reached the corner of the venue, he spotted a familiar figure.
Su Mo was standing against the wall, dressed in a smart field uniform, exuding a dashing air, with her motorcycle parked steadily beside her.
Noticing the movement, Su Mo looked up, a slight smile playing on her lips, and waved to him casually, greeting him:
"oi!"
----
"To be honest, I waited for you there for ages. I even started to suspect that you had stolen my car."
Su Mo straddled the motorcycle, started the engine, and her soft laughter drifted away on the evening breeze.
The motorcycle slowly drove away from the temporary camp. The evening breeze in the mountains blew freely through her long hair, the black strands flying wildly, sweeping across Yun Yu's cheeks on the back seat again and again, carrying a faint, refreshing scent that made her feel slightly itchy.
"Next time I really steal your motorcycle, you'll behave." Although Yun Yu couldn't open her eyes because Su Mo's hair hit her, she didn't show any weakness.
"Then don't expect me to give you a ride on my motorcycle next time," Su Mo replied with a smile. But then she thought of the young man behind her, who had risked his life to enter the alternate dimension just to stop someone completely unrelated to her. She couldn't help but sigh.
"After this incident, I'm starting to believe your claim that you were just helping someone along the way and that's why you were getting food there during your temporary shelter."
"So you mean you didn't believe it before?"
"To be honest, no one would readily believe what someone says before understanding their character, right?" Su Mo looked straight ahead, not directly answering Yun Yu's question, but instead uttering a very realistic statement. However, Su Mo quickly added, her tone carrying a barely perceptible softness:
"However, after reading Mr. Masano's account of today's events, I must say, you are both brave and gentle."
Gentle praise fell on her ear, the evening breeze became even gentler, the motorcycle slowed down, and her long, flowing hair gradually calmed down, no longer brushing against Yunyu's cheek.
Yun Yu slowly opened her eyes, her clear, bright eyes reflecting the passing tree shadows and sunset. After a moment's thought, she said:
"There's no other way; you can't just sit and wait to die when something happens!"
"Yes, we can't just sit and wait to die when something happens." Su Mo gently repeated Yun Yu's words, then changed her tone, adopting a playful and mischievous one, and said softly:
"By the way, I took care of things at the convenience store while you were missing. I even took my CEA certificate and went to your boss to ask for two days off for you. You don't need to worry about being absent. Just go home and rest today."
Upon hearing this, Yun Yu, who had been worried about being fired by her boss for missing work yesterday, instantly brightened up: "Thank you so much, boss!"
"What's wrong? Why not call her 'stepmother'?"
"That's a different price."
"..."
Upon hearing this, Su Mo was momentarily speechless. Only the evening breeze gently swept past the car, accompanied by the two people's lighthearted laughter, as they drove gently forward. The noise subsided, and the afterglow of the setting sun spread across the entire road, leaving only the two of them chatting leisurely.