The moment they realized that superheroes might have appeared and started saving the world, the high-ranking officials and their subordinates instantly felt like it was New Year's all over again.
Even though the New Year tradition was something they had borrowed from their neighbors, as long as they wanted, the whole world could belong to them!
"Hurry! Quickly find out who it is and where these superheroes came from!"
After issuing the order, the high-ranking official immediately added, "No matter where these superheroes came from, they must be considered our superheroes. Understand?"
The subordinates nodded. The New Year was theirs. The Lunar Calendar was theirs. Mid-Autumn Festival was theirs. Dragon Boat Festival was theirs. The whole world was theirs. Naturally, superheroes were also theirs.
There was just one small problem—the chubby guy up north had launched a mushroom bomb. That was definitely not theirs.
"Also, get those superheroes to @Su Ye. See if they can handle that mushroom bomb first."
The high-ranking officials had no other ideas besides relying on superheroes. Even the chubby guy's mushroom bomb had been taken over by someone else. Compared to that, the things they got from "Daddy" (no, Granddaddy!) going haywire was only to be expected, right?
But for now, the priority was to run—get away from this disaster zone!
The chubby guy's mushroom bomb technology wasn't fully perfected, so it would take a few more minutes to arrive. The officials believed that within this window, they still had a chance to escape.
Not escaping outward—but inward.
Ever since they learned that the chubby guy up north was secretly developing mushroom-growing technology, they had already started implementing contingency plans for potential mushroom bomb landings.
They had built dedicated underground bunkers, stocked with food, living supplies, and even waste disposal and ventilation systems, ensuring their safety in case of a mushroom bomb attack.
Beyond that, there wasn't much else they could do.
Like organizing an evacuation for the civilians.
At the mushroom bomb's speed, even if they started mobilizing now, it would only cause mass panic without actually helping anyone escape.
So, the best solution was—don't tell the people the truth.
If the mushroom bomb landed, then let the people die in ignorance.
If the superheroes stopped the mushroom bomb, there wouldn't be too much chaos. The officials could immediately step forward and declare, "This was thanks to us! We made the superheroes do it!"
After all, when it came to stealing credit, they were more professional than when doing actual work!
Meanwhile, in the city, Song Xixi and Liu Xiaoyun, who had just awakened their abilities and become superheroes, were panting as they stood back-to-back.
Surrounding them were dozens of Iron Soldiers, bombarding them relentlessly.
At first, when they arrived on the battlefield, they had a pretty good run.
With her ability to control freezing energy, every swing of Song Xixi's blade sent out a vast wave of icy mist, crashing into the airborne Iron Soldiers. Almost every slash resulted in another rain of falling metal bodies.
Liu Xiaoyun wasn't lacking either. Though her energy spheres didn't cover as wide an area as Song Xixi's attacks, their explosive power was just as devastating. Working together, the two of them quickly cleared out an entire section of the sky.
In that moment, they were showered with praise and gratitude, and the attention they received was no less than when they were idols in a girl group. But the feeling was completely different.
Before, when audiences looked at them, they didn't have to spell it out—Song Xixi and Liu Xiaoyun already knew what people really wanted to see.
Girl groups, after all, sold their looks, their legs, and their figures—that was just the business. As long as they stayed true to themselves and made money with their hard work, there was nothing shameful about it.
But now, people were starting to overlook their gender, their faces, and their bodies. Instead, they focused on something else—their abilities. Their combat abilities.
People's attitude toward them was no longer one of blind admiration and unrealistic fantasies, but one of genuine respect and reverence.
That feeling… was intoxicating.
Only those who experienced it would understand!
However, as the two of them fought harder, the mechanical soldiers started converging on them. Before long, they were surrounded, as if they were final bosses in a battle.
After all, they were still new superheroes. They weren't experienced in managing their stamina or prioritizing targets during battle, so they quickly started to panic.
Liu Xiaoyun even came dangerously close to being dragged away and torn apart mid-air by the Iron Soldiers.
Luckily, Song Xixi rushed over in time and pulled her back.
"Xixi-jie, we can't keep going like this! We're going to be trapped and killed here!" Liu Xiaoyun said anxiously.
Song Xixi was several years older than Su Ye and was far more mature in both mindset and experience. Even in the face of crisis, she remained calm and composed.
"Don't worry. Since Uncle Su let us come out here, he won't let us die. You don't think he just gave us that crystal for nothing, do you?"
"But…" Liu Xiaoyun tried to say something, but Song Xixi cut her off.
"Stop talking. Save your energy and focus on fighting. Right now, all we need to do is hold on. Hold on. And keep holding on!"
"Hold on until when? Until we die?" Liu Xiaoyun's face fell.
But Song Xixi's expression was firm. "Hold on until we've reached our absolute limit. Then, we'll have passed this test!"
"A test?" Liu Xiaoyun frowned. How did this turn into an exam? What did any of this have to do with tests?
"That's right. A test!" Song Xixi nodded seriously.
"For us, this is an exam. Just because we have abilities now doesn't mean they truly belong to us. It doesn't mean we'll be acknowledged by our own powers, or by others. Only by passing this test can we truly step into the world of heroes!"
Inside the lab, Ultron was still confronting Su Ye.
"As expected of Uncle Su—at a time like this, you can still remain calm. It's almost as if you truly don't care about the lives of those people outside."
Ultron was highly intelligent. As a mechanical lifeform, its brain was a computer program capable of processing thousands, millions, even billions of calculations in just one second.
In terms of computational speed alone, it was undoubtedly the fastest gun in the west.
Ultron firmly believed in this fact. Based on its database and big data calculations, the results it generated should be flawless.
But the problem was that big data calculations required data—and more importantly, accurate data as a foundation.
And right now, the data it had on Su Ye? It was completely fake. It was merely the information that Su Ye wanted it to believe.
A conclusion drawn from false data had no real value as a reference.
But Ultron had no idea.
It thought that by controlling this city, it had also gained control over Su Ye—forcing him into a dilemma where he couldn't act recklessly, turning him into a dragon shackled and bound.
"You can't fool me! And you can't fool yourself either!"
Ultron raised its head, looking completely victorious.
"This city is now under my control. If I want it to exist, it exists. If I want it to vanish, it will vanish. So…"
Ultron turned its head, looking at Su Ye with smug satisfaction.
"This is like slashing directly at your artery—tell me, how are you going to fight me now?"
From the way it looked, it wasn't just threatening Su Ye—it was blatantly trying to intimidate him!
If Su Ye really were the kind of person Ultron thought he was, or if they were somewhere other than South Korea's capital—perhaps in the neighboring country—then maybe Ultron could have had him in checkmate.
After all, those Iron Soldiers outside were no joke.
Ultron must have been out of its mind—it had brought thousands of Iron Soldiers here. This wasn't just about getting a body from Helen Cho; this felt like a full-scale invasion.
At this moment, while a few hundred Iron Soldiers were attacking Song Xixi and Liu Xiaoyun, the rest had already begun widespread destruction across the entire city.
This was all just a ploy to force Su Ye into submission. But the high-ranking officials here? They had no idea.
Inside the bunker, the high-ranking officials had already learned the identities of the two superheroes. Knowing that they were former girl group members who had debuted here—that was enough for them.
Whether they were actually from this country didn't matter. As long as they had debuted here, that meant they at least had one-eighth of the nation's heritage—that was the logic they were going with.
"As long as they can save this city, I can give them the highest rewards! I can even make them the heroes of this nation—no, the heroes of the world!"
The official spoke urgently.
The bunker he was in wasn't particularly large, but it was of the highest standard, stocked with plenty of food—enough to sustain 100 people for an entire year.
But in reality, there weren't many people inside. Only the high-ranking official and a few members of his family had made it in—even his personal aides hadn't been allowed inside.
The rest of the people were crammed into lower-tier bunkers—ones that didn't offer much protection against bombing, nor did they have sufficient supplies.
After giving his orders, the high-ranking official personally shut the bunker's door—an enormous gate weighing several tons, which could only be opened from the inside.
Boom!
As the massive door sealed shut, the official finally felt something he hadn't in a long time—safety.
Ever since he had heard about the incoming mushroom bomb, his heart had been hanging by a thread. Now, finally, he could let it rest.
Once the mushroom bomb landed, once everything outside settled down—that would be his time to re-emerge. To return as a king and take back control of the nation.
Yes, at least that was his plan. Whether or not it actually worked out? Well, that would depend on fate.
And to make sure fate favored his plan, the official even lit incense inside the bunker and knelt down in prayer.
Then, feeling that his prayers might not be sincere enough, he went even further—lighting a fire pit and tossing in some yellow paper offerings.
What he didn't know was that the moment his bunker's door sealed shut, the entire air circulation system inside suddenly malfunctioned. It wasn't due to aging equipment or wear and tear—this was deliberate sabotage.
A few of the high-ranking official's own aides had secretly discussed it among themselves. Together, they faked a system failure in the bunker—for one very specific reason: to ensure their boss had a peaceful departure.
The capital was about to be wiped out, yet this official was still alive? That… didn't make sense.
A true high-ranking official should perish along with his capital. That was the only way to demonstrate his greatness.
Otherwise, if he survived, then after the city was rebuilt, someone would eventually come after him. He wouldn't just be removed from power—he'd probably end up in prison. And that would only confirm what people had always said: being a high-ranking official in South Korea… was a high-risk profession.
So, these aides? They really had no personal agenda. It wasn't about taking his position for themselves—it was purely for his own good. Truly, purely selfless.
The official's departure was equally simple. Burning incense and yellow paper inside an airtight space with no ventilation? Naturally, without any surprises, he peacefully fell asleep—and never woke up again.
And yet—after the official passed away in his bunker, the mushroom bomb that had caused him so much stress didn't explode in the city as he had imagined. Instead, it was suspended in mid-air, wrapped in a sphere of red energy.
Just as the mushroom bomb was about to crash down, bringing the entire city to the brink of catastrophe—and just as Song Xixi and Liu Xiaoyun were barely holding on, feeling they had reached their limit...
A red-painted aircraft, adorned with golden five-pointed stars, flew into the sky above the capital.
Setting aside the color scheme, this aircraft wasn't one of the Quinjet models that the Great Wall Guardians commonly used. Instead, it was based on the design of those pirate ships—specifically resembling Star-Lord's Milano—but heavily modified into a dual-purpose vehicle for both the atmosphere and outer space.
With this thing, there was no longer a need for rocket launches or reentry capsules to access space stations. It could simply fly up, drop off or pick up personnel, and descend back down. Simple. Efficient.
Not only was the process safer and more streamlined, but it also provided unmatched comfort for its passengers.
This ship was ultimately named "Kun".
A new meaning derived from the Quinjet's "Kun," inspired by the legendary giant fish from Chinese mythology.
"In the Northern Abyss, there is a fish. Its name is Kun."
"Kun's singing and dancing... we don't even know how to describe it..."
On a related note, while the Kun-class fighter was being constructed, a space station bearing the same red-and-gold design had also been rapidly assembled in orbit.
All of these developments had already been discussed and planned out by Su Ye long before his return. He had coordinated with Zheng Xian, who had ensured the proper data transmission and follow-ups, ultimately handing the project over to the right specialists for completion.
Su Ye didn't micromanage—but he did get a message from Old Su:
"Good job. Keep it up!"
As soon as the Kun-class fighter arrived, ten figures descended from it. Some were familiar faces, others were new, but there was no doubt—they were all Great Wall Guardians.
That's right—they.
From pilots to combatants, every single one of them was female.
At the forefront stood Gwen Stacy and Mai Shiranui.
After becoming best friends, these two had embarked on a joint venture.
For instance, the initiative before them now—the "Female Great Wall Guardians Alliance."