"Hahaha! Am I really that highly regarded across the universe? You're too kind, too kind," Dr. Brief chuckled happily at Ken's praise.
He then curiously examined the spaceship behind Ken.
"Ahem… So, what can I do for you two alien friends?" Dr. Brief adjusted his glasses and asked warmly.
"I heard there's something on Earth called a capsule—you invented it, right?" Ken asked politely.
"Yes, that's right. I invented the Capsule—more specifically, the Hoi-Poi Capsule," Dr. Brief nodded honestly. He pulled one out and explained, "To put it simply, it compresses an object into particles and stores them in the capsule. When you need it, it decompresses and returns it to its original form."
"Could you help me convert this spaceship into a capsule?" Ken pointed to the ship behind him.
"Of course! No problem at all," Dr. Brief's face lit up. "I was just thinking—I'd love to study this ship more closely."
"Study it all you want, just don't break it," Ken replied cheerfully.
"I won't break it, don't worry," Dr. Brief laughed and eagerly walked up to the spaceship, caressing it like a rare treasure. "Such incredible technology… There are geniuses like this out in space? What kind of material is this? I've never seen anything like it on Earth."
Ken didn't answer.
Truth be told, he had no idea what the ship was made of either.
And Broly? He understood even less. Everything was new and strange to him.
At the moment, he was locked in a staring contest… with a black cat.
The cat arched its back, glaring warily at the unfamiliar face.
"Broly, don't stare at the cat… That thing's pretty dangerous," Ken called out.
Broly: "???"
"A long time ago," Ken said with a sigh, "I actually saw a black cat holding a pistol shoot a mouse's ear off."
Broly stared at him in pure confusion, clearly not understanding a word.
"There was really a cat like that?" Dr. Brief asked, surprised.
"Yup. It even made the news," Ken nodded.
"Oh? That happened on your planet?" Dr. Brief asked, still studying the spaceship.
"Uh-huh." Ken nodded again. "So… how long do you think it'll take to convert the ship into a capsule?"
"I'll need to check the internal structure first," Dr. Brief said, beginning to crawl into the ship.
"Go go go!" Ken cheered from behind.
Dr. Brief: "…"
Broly watched in confusion. None of this made any sense to him.
Then, losing interest, Broly ran off to poke at some grass nearby. He found it weird and fascinating.
Inside the spaceship, Dr. Brief began his exploration of its internal systems.
This tech is so advanced…
It took him a full thirty minutes of study before he finally emerged.
"Judging by this ship's internal structure, I'd say it'll take at least a month to turn it into a capsule," he concluded.
"Alright. I'll leave it in your hands, Doctor," Ken nodded.
"No trouble at all! To study alien technology like this is a huge honor!" Dr. Brief adjusted his glasses, clearly excited. Then he added, "In the meantime, if you don't mind… you're welcome to stay here at our house."
"We don't mind," Ken replied.
"Though I have to ask… are aliens usually this short?" Dr. Brief, now more relaxed, asked curiously.
Ken was about to answer when a voice rang out in the distance.
"Dad, I'm home!"
With those cheerful words, Bulma came skipping into view.
Ken turned to look at the approaching girl.
Bulma was only five years old this year—just slightly younger than Ken by about ten months, making them technically the same age.
With her rosy cheeks, high ponytail of blue hair, and a pink dress, she looked like an adorable little bunny hopping around.
"Oh! Bulma, you're home from school?" Dr. Brief looked at her lovingly and patted her head.
"Dad, did you hear? There was a huge spaceship spotted over in the East District! Two aliens even flew out of it!" Bulma waved her hands animatedly as she spoke, excitedly reenacting what she'd heard. "I knew it! The universe is so big—there had to be aliens!"
Dr. Brief: "…"
He turned and glanced silently at Ken.
"Dad, who's this? Your secret love child?" Bulma pointed at Ken and asked bluntly.
Dr. Brief wiped his forehead.
Ken covered his face with a hand, speechless.
Where does this girl learn to talk like that?!
"Hey, Dad, what's that giant thing behind you? Some new tech you're working on?" Bulma's sharp eyes immediately locked onto the spaceship.
She quickly ran over and gently touched the exterior with her small hands.
"This material is so weird… Dad, what is this? I've never seen anything like it. Is it a new alloy you invented?"
"This is my daughter, Bulma…" Dr. Brief quickly introduced. "Please forgive her—kids say all kinds of things."
"It's fine," Ken smiled. "Looks like she's about the same age as me."
"Huh? You're… five years old?" Dr. Brief adjusted his glasses in surprise, staring at Ken.
"Yup," Ken nodded.
"Amazing… Traveling through space at age five?" Dr. Brief let out a wry smile, full of admiration.
"Dad, what are you two talking about?" Bulma asked curiously, glancing back and forth between the two of them.
"Bulma, if I'm not mistaken… he's the alien you just mentioned," Dr. Brief said with a smile.
Bulma froze.
Her eyes went wide with disbelief.
(End of Chapter)
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]