Part
The next day, the world hadn't tipped into chaos just yet—but the air was different.
The tension online was thick.
Social media was overflowing with theories, speculations, blurry videos, and rapid-fire debates. From livestreamers to news anchors, everyone was talking about the same thing: "Was it real?"
A series of videos had surfaced from different regions, but all strangely consistent.
One clip showed a tall, elegant figure in an iridescent bodysuit and flowing cape, silently walking through a shopping district at night. Her head was covered by a smooth, non-reflective helmet, with glowing blue stripes and faintly shifting patterns—eerily matching the infamous CCTV footage of the 'Alien in the Museum'. That clip of Han Yue holding a book titled "The End of the World Starts with Buying Zero Yuan Shopping" had already gone viral across several countries.
Now, people were connecting the dots.
Another clip surfaced from Sushi Island Country, showing a group of similarly dressed "aliens" walking down an alley, tall and silent. One bent down to feed a stray cat. Another helped an elderly man pick up fallen groceries. The footage was grainy, taken from behind a curtain window—but the silhouettes, movements, and glowing suits were unmistakable.
Some anonymous posters even claimed they saw the group emerge from abandoned train stations or slip into convenience stores in the dead of night, always vanishing just before anyone could approach them directly.
The story was taking shape.
Forums erupted with titles like:
"Cosmic Visitors? Or High-Tech Cosplayers with a Message?"
"Did Sushi Island Hide First Contact from the World?"
"Aliens...but make it fashion??"
But just before panic could break out, official statements were released globally.
The most aggressive came from the Sushi Island Country itself:
"The so-called 'aliens' are simply artistic performance groups. These suits can be found in commercial cosplay stores across our cities. There is no alien activity. This is being sensationalized by social media."
The spokesperson even showed photos of the same style of glowing suit hanging in a cosplay shop with price tags attached. A laughing host demonstrated how to wear it live on TV.
Shortly after, the Freedom Country government echoed this claim.
"There is no credible evidence of extraterrestrial activity. This appears to be an elaborate PR stunt or hoax related to performance art and viral marketing from Sushi Island Country."
They waved it off as part of some bizarre "cultural art conspiracy," trying to de-escalate public anxiety.
For now, it worked.
Most people laughed it off. Memes flooded in.
"The aliens came for peace—and a shopping spree."
"Alien girl with better fashion than me."
"First contact?? More like first catwalk!"
The netizen chaos was loud but not yet dangerous.
No panic buying. No riots. Just lots of late-night debates.
But the seed had been planted.
Behind closed doors, some families were stocking up quietly. Conspiracy theorists and ex-preppers began digging up their old shelters. Online stores selling survival gear reported slight upticks in orders—nothing drastic, but… noticeable.
Han Yue, though?
She was already ten steps ahead.
Aboard her private jet en route to Freedom Country, she was scrolling through food apps, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"I can't wait to try the burgers! The crazy milkshakes! Triple cheese BBQ sandwiches! Ice cream cakes the size of my suitcase—wahhh!" she squealed, unable to contain her joy.
Meanwhile, her team was all business.
At the tail end of the jet, Long Yi and Secretary Wen were in a secure video call with Shadow One, their local contact in Freedom Country. They discussed everything: cargo routes, supply chains, satellite surveillance, and the best places to set up temporary kitchens.
Assistant Chen and Liu had already issued commands to the on-ground team:
"Buy everything," Liu ordered. "Fast food chains, catering kitchens, BBQ joints, bakeries, snack factories, even wedding buffets. Rent out their capacity."
"First batch in eight hours," Chen added. "Then keep it flowing daily. We'll rotate through all the warehouses."
The ground team executed without hesitation.
Han Yue's mission is the ten large warehouses in the first city—each designated for specific categories:
Dry food staples and grains
Fast food, snacks, desserts
Fresh produce and seafood
Medicines and pharmacy supplies
Toiletries and daily-use goods
Textiles and garments
Animal feed and pet supplies
Emergency tools and solar equipment
Agricultural chemicals and fertilizers
Bonus warehouse: "Whatever she feels like hoarding later"
Long Yi finished his call and walked over to her.
Han Yue was still comparing food reviews between Chicago deep-dish and New York thin crust.
She only noticed him when she felt a warm gaze.
"Done with your meeting?" she asked, glancing up.
"Mn."
They exchanged a few words. She explained her plan to stay in the first city for three days to manage the warehouse and activate storage. Long Yi replied that his retrieval mission might take ten days, depending on how messy the country was.
"…Can we go to an amusement park after?" she asked suddenly, looking hopeful.
He paused. "…Okay."
Then, as naturally as breathing, Long Yi reached out and gently patted her head.
Han Yue blinked.
"…You really like doing that."
But she didn't stop him.
She let him pat her.
And in that quiet moment between missions and memes, she smiled.
Part 2
After finally arriving at Freedom Country, their first stop was City 1, where Han Yue needed to collect items from ten warehouses. Once that was done, she had three free days in the city to do as she pleased.
Her assistants had already gone ahead and booked as many food stops, fast-food joints, and viral restaurants as possible. Han Yue went out to enjoy all the viral eats, starting with giant fried mozzarella sticks—"Wow, so stretchy!"—then moving on to all sorts of pizzas, bagels, sandwiches that were almost ten feet long, deep-fried Oreos, oversized shawarmas, and more. She was amazed by it all and didn't forget to order three days' worth from each spot. Her warehouse quickly became a non-stop stream of takeout deliveries and fast-food bags.
Han Yue also visited nearby farms to collect more livestock. She picked up turkeys, alpacas, mules, donkeys, frogs, guinea pigs, turtles, crocodiles, shepherd dogs, and even wolf dogs. "Wow! I want to raise these wolf dogs—they look so cool!"
After her three days of fun and stockpiling, she continued on to Cities 2 through 5 over the next eight days, doing her usual routine of buying out food chains, malls, groceries, and booking deliveries. Every city's warehouses were filled on schedule, ensuring no overlapping or late arrivals.
Meanwhile, Long Yi was on his own operation. He traveled across multiple cities collecting items from dozens of warehouses: food, supplies, equipment, lab machines, guns, vehicles, hospital tools, military jets, helicopters, submarines, even nuclear-powered tech and escape pods. He gathered everything from expiring medicines to cold and hot weapons, cargo ships to grains. Thanks to his unlimited space, he could store even the largest machines and vehicles.
After eight full days of intense collection, he finally met up with Han Yue again at City 5, where a famous seaside amusement park was located. It had one of the biggest Ferris wheels, giant roller coasters, carnival food, beachside views—an all-in-one paradise.
Having worked hard for days, everyone took the day off. The others did their own thing, while Han Yue and Long Yi—both dressed in casual outfits—decided to explore the park together. Though they looked like ordinary tourists, their striking looks made them stand out like celebrities.
They strolled through the bustling park, mesmerized by the creative fried foods. Han Yue was thrilled—"Wow, they even fry Oreos? Fried cheesecake? Fried pickles? I want to try everything!" She took a couple of bites from each snack before handing the rest to Long Yi, who obediently carried her growing stash. At one point, he discreetly stored the extras in his space because Han Yue just kept buying more.
As the crowd thickened, Long Yi reached out and naturally held Han Yue's hand to avoid getting separated. So smooth, like it was nothing. Han Yue felt a little embarrassed but pretended it was normal, sipping her milk tea with her free hand. Long Yi smiled quietly and held her hand tighter.
Later, Han Yue said she needed to use the restroom. Long Yi waited by a nearby lamp post. While he stood there, a group of girls approached him. Some asked for his Instagram, TikTok, even his Twitter/X handle. They asked if he was a celebrity. But Long Yi, aloof and handsome, ignored them completely.
Just then, Han Yue came out of the restroom and saw everything. Her lips pouted slightly. Hmph! Stop hitting on him! She marched over with a bright smile.
The girls around warned her not to get close—"He's cold! He'll reject you!" Some even mocked her, calling her a "pick-me girl" who couldn't read the mood. A few others were simply jealous because Han Yue looked absolutely stunning and adorable.
But Han Yue just smiled, walked right up to Long Yi, and took his hand naturally, pulling him away without a word. Gasps echoed. Some girls were embarrassed, others bitter. But a few cheered.
"Wow, that couple looks perfect together!"
"Are they celebrities from Asia?"
Photographers nearby, drawn by the crowd, snapped candid shots of the pair.
As they continued exploring the park, Long Yi wore a subtle smile.
So the little rabbit knows how to get jealous, too? he thought, very pleased with the discovery.
They ended the night with a ride on the Ferris wheel, a 15-minute round trip. When the cabin neared the top, Long Yi asked quietly, "Did you have fun today?"
Han Yue looked at him, nodded, and softly said, "Yes… it was fun going out with you."
She then fell into a thoughtful silence. In her past life, she had rejected Long Yi so many times, yet he always stayed by her side—never asking for anything in return. In this life, she was still young—only two years younger than him—but her heart wavered. Was it okay to feel this way?
As she gazed out, dazed, Long Yi gently tapped her forehead.
"Just keep being yourself," he said. "Enjoy life."
No more words were spoken. They watched the view in silence, then returned to their hotel to rest.
Tomorrow, they would travel to a different country.