American comics: I am full of martial virtues and I love to be kind to others.

However, the most significant change occurred in Antarctica. According to the agreement, the International Antarctic Cooperation Committee was formally established to oversee joint human and symbiotic activities in Antarctica.

“The first collaborative research project has been launched,” Dr. Banner reported via video link, “the topic being the impacts of climate change on polar ecosystems. The symbiotic environment-sensing capabilities of these organisms provide us with unprecedented data precision.”

But Lynn knew that the real challenge had only just begun. Establishing peace was easy; maintaining it required sustained effort and wisdom.

“We need to establish long-term monitoring and communication mechanisms,” Lynn emphasized during a meeting with representatives from various countries, “to ensure that small-scale misunderstandings do not escalate into large-scale conflicts.”

To this end, at Lynn's suggestion, the FBI established a dedicated "Extraterrestrial Affairs Division" to handle all matters related to symbiotes. This division will work closely with international partners to ensure the strict implementation of the Earth-Symbiote Peace Cooperation Agreement.

"Lynn, would you be willing to take on the role of head of this new department?" Deputy Director Stone asked in a private meeting.

Lynn considered for a moment, “I would be honored, but I feel this position requires more diplomatic and scientific background. I would prefer to continue serving as a frontline operations commander.”

“That’s settled then,” Stone nodded. “You will continue to lead the Alien Affairs Task Force, directly responsible for handling any potential emergencies.”

Two weeks later, on a sunny afternoon, Lynn finally boarded a flight back to New York. After months of overseas missions, he could finally return to the familiar Manhattan branch.

As the plane landed at JFK Airport, Lynn looked down at the familiar city skyline and a strange feeling welled up inside him. New York was still New York, but the world was completely different. Humanity was no longer the only intelligent life in the universe, and Earth was no longer an isolated planet.

"Welcome home!" cheered the colleagues who were waiting to pick him up at the airport.

“Thank you everyone,” Lynn replied with a smile. “It feels so good to be back in New York.”

On his way back to the Manhattan branch, Lynn noticed some subtle changes. News about "human-symbiote friendly projects" occasionally appeared on electronic screens in the streets, and new signs appeared in front of some research institutions, indicating that they were involved in extraterrestrial technology research.

“It seems the world is adapting quickly,” Lynn muttered to himself.

“That’s true,” the driver replied. “My daughter’s most desired birthday present right now is a visit to the Human-Symbiotic Cooperation Base in Antarctica. The children are especially interested in these new things.”

This brought Lynn comfort. If the next generation can accept the reality of peaceful coexistence between humans and extraterrestrial life from a young age, then long-term harmony will be more assured.

Upon arriving at the Manhattan branch, Lynn discovered that the entire building had undergone upgrades and renovations. The original Special Operations Command Center had been expanded into the "Alien Affairs Command Center," equipped with state-of-the-art communication equipment and analysis systems.

“Wow, what a big change,” Lynn said, looking around at the new office environment.

“This is just the beginning,” Branch Manager Jason came over to greet us. “Headquarters has approved a complete construction plan for an alien affairs building, which is expected to be completed next year.”

"What about my team?" Lynn asked about the other members.

“Most of them have already returned to New York,” Jason replied. “Sarah is researching symbiote psychology in the new lab upstairs, Peter is assisting the training department in developing new tactical courses, and Emily is collaborating with the medical school on symbiote medical technologies.”

“It sounds like everyone’s very busy,” Lynn nodded. “Then I’ll go check out my new office.”

Lynn's new office is located on the top floor of the building, offering a superb view of the Manhattan skyline. His desk is neatly arranged with various documents and reports, including monitoring reports on symbiotic activities from around the world, summaries of collaborative projects, and some special cases that require his personal attention.

“There really is no time to rest,” Lynn said with a wry smile as he sat down to read the documents.

The first report came from Australia: "A small group of symbiotes has been discovered near Sydney, and they appear to have just come ashore. Local authorities are requesting that the FBI's Extraterrestrial Affairs Division send experts to assist with the initial contact procedures."

The second report from Norway states: "Arctic research station has discovered remains of some ancient symbiotic organisms, which may contain important historical information. A specialized team is needed to investigate."

The third report came from Brazil: "Restoration work at the Brasilia base is progressing smoothly, but some unknown symbiotic technology equipment has been discovered, requiring expert assistance for research."

“It seems there’s a lot of work to do,” Lynn thought as she considered prioritizing, when there was a knock on her office door.

"Please come in."

Sarah walked in; she looked energetic and was clearly interested in the new research.

“Welcome home, Captain,” Sarah said with a smile. “Have you settled into your new environment?”

“Still struggling to adapt,” Lynn replied. “How’s your research going?”

“It went very smoothly,” Sarah said excitedly. “We’ve developed a complete symbiotic psychological assessment system that can accurately identify friendly and hostile individuals. And I’ve discovered an interesting phenomenon.”

"What phenomenon?"

“The emotional response patterns of symbiotes share many similarities with humans,” Sarah explained, “especially the pursuit of beauty, harmony, and growth. This may be the fundamental reason why peaceful cooperation is so successful.”

“This is an important discovery,” Lynn nodded, “and will be very valuable for future cooperation.”

“There’s one more thing,” Sarah’s expression turned mysterious, “Zeta wants to see you. It says it has something important to tell you.”

Where is Zeta?

“It’s in a special containment room downstairs, but it’s basically free to move around now,” Sarah explained. “After all, it’s officially our partner now.”

Lynn followed Sarah downstairs to the special containment room, which had been transformed into a comfortable living space, more like a guest room than a prison.

Zeta was clearly excited when it saw Lynn, and it quickly took on a more human-like form.

“Lynn, my friend,” Zeta said in its unique way of communicating, “congratulations on successfully establishing peace between the two races.”

“This is the result of everyone’s joint efforts,” Lynn replied modestly. “You said you had something important to tell me?” “Yes,” Zeta’s tone became serious, “I received a message from our home planet.”

"Homeworld?" Lynn asked in surprise. "Your original home?"

“Correct,” Zeta confirmed. “It turns out that the symbiotic civilization on our home planet has been monitoring the activities of us wanderers. Now, thanks to the success of the peace agreement on Earth, our home planet has decided to send a formal diplomatic mission to establish official relations.”

This news shocked Lynn. If the symbiotic homeworld really was going to send a diplomatic mission, then humanity would no longer be facing a refugee problem, but a genuine contact with an extraterrestrial civilization.

"When will they arrive?" Lynn asked.

“About six months later,” Zeta replied, “and it won’t just be symbiotes coming. There will be representatives of other races on the homeworld; it will be a true galactic diplomatic mission.”

"Other races?" Lynn's worldview was once again shaken.

“Yes, there are many intelligent races in the universe that have been observing Earth, waiting for the moment when humanity is ready to make contact,” Zeta explained. “Your success in establishing peace with us proves that humanity is ready.”

Lynn sat down, trying to process this massive amount of information. Just a few months ago, he was worried about how to deal with the symbiotic threat on Earth; now he had to face contact with civilizations across the entire galaxy.

“I need to report this immediately,” Lynn said. “It will change everything.”

“I understand,” Zeta nodded, “but I believe that, based on the friendship and trust we have already built, humanity will be able to successfully meet this challenge.”

In the days that followed, news of the Galactic diplomatic mission caused a huge uproar among top governments worldwide. The United Nations convened an emergency secret meeting, with world leaders discussing via video link how to respond to this unprecedented situation.

"This will be the most important moment in human history," the US president said at the meeting. "We need to be fully prepared."

"The key is to ensure the success of the first contact," the German Chancellor added. "Any mistake could have disastrous consequences."

“And we need the best diplomatic and scientific teams,” the French president added.

All eyes turned to Lynn. Having successfully handled the symbiote crisis, he was now widely recognized as humanity's top expert in extraterrestrial affairs.

“Agent Lynn,” the UN Secretary-General said, “we hope you will lead this preparatory committee.”

“I am honored,” Lynn responded, “but this challenge is greater than ever before. We need more than just diplomatic skills; we need a deep understanding of civilizations in the universe.”

"What suggestions do you have?" the British Prime Minister asked.

“First, we need to work closely with Zeta and other friendly symbiotes to understand the basics of galactic politics and culture,” Lynn began to formulate a plan. “Second, we need to showcase the best of human civilization and prove that we are worthy of being part of the galactic community. Finally, we need to prepare for all possible scenarios, including less friendly encounters.”

"What specific preparations are involved?" the Russian president asked.

“Cultural exchange materials, technological displays, works of art, and expressions of human values,” Lynn listed. “We need to show the galaxy that humanity is not just a technological species, but a civilization with rich emotions and profound wisdom.”

Following the conference, unprecedented preparations began worldwide. The world's finest scientists, artists, philosophers, and diplomats were gathered to prepare for one of the most important moments in human history.

Lynn, as the coordinator of all this, had to handle countless details and decisions every day. From choosing the musical works to present to extraterrestrial civilizations to designing the architectural style of the reception venues, every decision could affect the future of humanity.

“Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the pressure,” Lynn told Sarah after a long day at work. “The future of all human civilization may depend on what we do in the next few months.”

“But it’s also a tremendous opportunity,” Sarah responded. “Imagine the knowledge and technology humanity would gain if it succeeded. Disease, poverty, environmental problems—these issues that have plagued humanity for millennia—could all potentially be solved.”

“Yes,” Lynn nodded, “that’s why we must succeed.”

Three months later, the first galactic diplomatic preparatory facility was completed near the United Nations headquarters. It was a masterpiece that blended various architectural styles and advanced technologies from around the world, reflecting both the diversity of human civilization and showcasing our technological capabilities.

"This will be the site of humanity's first formal contact with civilizations in the Milky Way," the architect explained at the inauguration ceremony. "We hope it will convey humanity's pursuit of peace, wisdom, beauty, and harmony."

Meanwhile, people around the world began to learn about the impending extraterrestrial contact. Through careful government outreach, the public showed great interest and support for this historic event.

“Public opinion polls show that 82% of the public supports establishing relations with friendly extraterrestrial civilizations,” a policy advisor reported to Lynn. “People are generally open to such contact as long as safety and equality can be ensured.”

“That’s good,” Lynn nodded. “Public support is crucial for successful diplomacy.”

A month before the arrival of the Galactic diplomatic mission, Lynn received a special invitation.

"The Joint Research Base for Human-Symbiotic Relationships in Antarctica invites you to visit," the secretary reported to him. "They say they have some important discoveries they need to show you."

"What kind of discovery?" Lynn asked.

"It's supposedly information about Earth's place in the Milky Way," the secretary replied, "and could be important for upcoming diplomatic contacts."

A week later, Lynn embarked on another journey to Antarctica. But this time, the experience was completely different. He was no longer going to face threats, but to witness the fruits of cooperation between humanity and extraterrestrial civilization.

The joint base in Antarctica was far more spectacular than Lynn had imagined. A modern research city had risen from the ice-covered landscape. Human scientists and symbiotic researchers worked side-by-side, exploring the mysteries of the universe.

“Welcome to the beginning of a new world,” the base director, a renowned oceanographer from Norway, warmly greeted Lynn. “The research findings here will astound you.”

In the base's core laboratory, Lynn witnessed an incredible sight. A massive holographic projection displayed a three-dimensional map of the Milky Way, marking the locations and characteristics of hundreds of intelligent civilizations. (End of Chapter)