Extraterrestrial demons invaded; I laid the groundwork eight years in advance.

1:30 PM, Pudong Airport, arrival hall.

Shen Bai and Shen Tian stood at the arrivals gate, looking at the flight information on the display screen. Their parents' flight, transiting through Dubai from São Paulo, arrived on time.

"Half an hour left." Shen Tian glanced at her phone, a little nervous. "Shen Bai, do you think Mom will think I've lost weight?"

No. You've gained three pounds.

"Shen Bai!" Shen Tian angrily punched him. "You're talking nonsense!"

Shen Bai did not answer, but looked at the distant sky.

"Shen Bai, are you thinking about work again?" Shen Tian tilted her head to look at him.

"No," Shen Bai said. "I'm thinking about what to eat when Mom and Dad arrive."

"I've prepared everything! Braised pork ribs, steamed sea bass, garlic broccoli, and tomato egg drop soup." Shen Tian counted on her fingers.

Seeing her excited expression, Shen Bai didn't expose her true skill level.

  

At 2:10 p.m., passengers began to emerge from the arrival gate.

Shen Tian stood on tiptoe and craned her neck to look inside.

"Mom! Mom! Over here!" she suddenly shouted, waving her hand.

Shen Bai followed her gaze.

Zhao Ya pushed her luggage cart out. She looked younger than her actual age, with a mature woman's composure and gentleness in her eyes. Her wheat-colored face still showed signs of fatigue from the long flight, but the moment she saw her daughter waving, the fatigue was replaced by a smile.

"Xiaotian!" Zhao Ya rushed out and hugged her daughter tightly. "You've lost weight! Have you been eating poorly?"

"Mom, I've gained three pounds!" Shen Tian was struggling to breathe despite being choked, but she still smiled.

Shen Ling walked behind, carrying a hiking backpack. He was over 1.8 meters tall, with a strong build, tanned skin, and an unshaven face. But his facial features were distinct, and one could vaguely see the shadow of Shen Bai.

Shen Ling walked over and patted Shen Bai on the shoulder.

"Xiao Bai looks much more energetic."

"Dad," Shen Bai took the hiking backpack from his shoulder, "You've worked hard."

"What's so tough about it? I was cooped up in the rainforest for half a month, it was so stifling." Shen Ling shook his head with a smile, but the smile quickly faded. "But after coming out, I saw on the news that something big happened? Everyone online is talking about red light and monsters?"

Shen Bai didn't answer directly, but simply said, "Get in the car first, we'll talk about it when we get back."

The family walked out of the terminal, Shen Bai put the luggage in the trunk and started the car.

Shen Tian sat in the back seat, holding Zhao Ya's hand, chattering away about interesting things that happened at school. Zhao Ya listened with a smile, occasionally interjecting with a comment.

Shen Ling leaned back in the passenger seat, his eyes closed, but his brows were slightly furrowed.

The car entered the highway and headed towards the city.

---

Evening, Qingfengyuan residential area.

Shen Tian was busy in the kitchen, wearing an apron and frantically flipping through the pots and pans. Zhao Ya wanted to help, but Shen Tian pushed her away.

"Mom, you sit down! I'll cook today!"

Zhao Ya smiled helplessly and sat down in the living room. Shen Ling stood in front of the world map, drew another circle with a red pen, and said, "Check-in successful."

Zhao Ya sat on the sofa, flipping through channels with the remote. Almost every channel on TV was discussing the "red light incident" from a few days ago—the official explanation being an "abnormal atmospheric phenomenon," but various videos and speculations were circulating online.

Shen Bai brought out two cups of tea from the kitchen and placed them on the coffee table.

"Dad, Mom, there's something I need to tell you."

Zhao Ya's smile slowly faded as she looked at his expression. Shen Ling also turned around, her gaze falling on him.

"What is it?"

Shen Bai sat down opposite them.

"The news you've seen, those red lights and monster stories," he paused, "are all true."

Zhao Ya clenched her fists around her knees. Shen Ling's brows furrowed even more.

"Simply put, a special substance has appeared in the air. After absorbing it, people can evolve and gradually master extraordinary powers."

"But at the same time, monsters from other dimensions are also attracted here. These monsters are ferocious and will destroy everything in their sight." Shen Bai paused, "And the Dawn Group, where I am now, has established a special agency to cooperate with the authorities in handling these abnormal events."

The living room was quiet for a few seconds.

Shen Ling was the first to speak: "You mean...those people in black uniforms?"

"It's not black, it's gray," Shen Bai corrected. "It's black because they're covered in the blood of demons. Some of them are members of our organization."

Zhao Ya's voice trembled slightly: "You...you're not going to fight those monsters, are you?"

"No." Shen Bai looked at Zhao Ya's face. "I do behind-the-scenes work, analyzing data and developing plans. I don't work on the front lines."

Shen Ling remained silent for a long time. He walked over, sat down, picked up his teacup, and then put it back down.

"Xiaobai, when did you start doing this?"

"Last month," Shen Bai said. "I was previously in another department within the group; this organization was just established last month."

"Is it dangerous?"

"It's not dangerous," Shen Bai said. "I work in an office."

Shen Ling stared at him for a few seconds, nodded, and didn't ask any further questions.

Zhao Ya stood up, walked to Shen Bai, and reached out to touch his face.

You must be careful.

"I will, Mom." Shen Bai paused, then added, "But I might not be home often after this, as I'll be quite busy with work and sometimes need to work overtime or travel for business. Don't worry."

Zhao Ya opened her mouth, her eyes filled with worry.

"Dinner's ready!"

Shen Tian carried out a plate of braised pork ribs that looked ordinary but smelled delicious and placed it on the table.

Zhao Ya secretly wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, swallowed back the words and worries she hadn't said, and put on a smile again.

"Mom, you must eat a few more pieces of the ribs that Xiaotian made."

The family sat around the dining table. Shen Tian served everyone food, chattering about interesting things in their lives.

Shen Ling took a bite of the rib and nodded.

"It's alright," he said.

"Dad, you said 'it's alright' in the same tone as Shen Bai!" Shen Tian pouted in dissatisfaction.

Shen Ling smiled, a rare occurrence for him.

Shen Bai picked up a piece of fish, tasted it, and found it was overcooked, but he chose to keep quiet.

"Xiaotian, how have you been at school lately?" Zhao Ya asked.

"It's fine! Classes were suspended for two days a few days ago for 'safety reasons'," Shen Tian gestured. "But classes are back to normal now. My classmates are all talking about the red light; some people said they saw a monster, but the teacher said it's a rumor."

Shen Ling glanced at Shen Bai, but Shen Bai didn't reply and just kept his head down to eat.

"Your brother said you found a teacher to learn kung fu?" Zhao Ya asked again.

Shen Tian's eyes immediately lit up: "Yes! Sister Fang Qing is amazing! She taught me the basics, horse stance, boxing, and running. At first, I couldn't even lift my legs, but now I can do fifty push-ups in a row!"

"Fifty?" Shen Ling raised an eyebrow. "Not bad."

"Of course!" Shen Tian proudly raised her chin.

Shen Bai listened quietly to his family chatting, a slight smile unconsciously creeping onto his lips.