Night fell quietly over the Wang family residence, where Xiao Zhen lived with his father, Wang Muzhan. The night wind blew softly, and the city lights began to fade one by one as people began to fall asleep in their sleep. However, on that seemingly ordinary night, a strange event occurred.
At exactly two in the morning, the sky above Xiao Zhen's house suddenly lit up with a silver light. The clouds seemed to disappear, replaced by a sparkling vortex of energy. Some of the local residents were awakened by the strange humming sound from the sky, but when they opened their windows, everything was back to normal—as if nothing had ever happened.
Above Xiao Zhen's house, a giant, round object that glittered like transparent crystal hung in the air. It was the size of a football field, and from below it descended a bright beam of light that shone directly into Xiao Zhen's room. Xiao Zhen's sleeping body suddenly floated up without resistance, entering the light and disappearing into the UFO.
Inside the UFO, the air felt colder and time seemed to slow down. Xiao Zhen lay in a circular room filled with dim blue light. The sound of machinery hummed faintly, and a strange metallic scent filled the air. When his eyelids fluttered open, he froze at the sight around him.
Surrounding him were alien creatures. They were tall, their skin ashen gray, and their eyes black without eyeballs. They wore some sort of strange armor and robes that looked like transparent membranes. One of them—taller and wearing a pitch-black robe with a star emblem on its chest—stepped forward.
"W-who are you?" Xiao Zhen asked, his voice shaking with fear.
The creature didn't answer. It just walked closer, and before Xiao Zhen could retreat any further, its hand reached for his forehead. Instantly, a flash of light flashed from the alien's hand and penetrated Xiao Zhen's body.
Xiao Zhen's body stiffened for a moment. Then his eyes widened, his body shaking violently, before he finally fell silent. Inside his consciousness, Xiao Zhen's soul screamed. He was sealed in darkness by the alien entity that now controlled his body.
The creature took a deep breath, then opened its mouth, muttering in a deep, resonant voice:
"I am the Alien King, the King of the Aetheries Planet. This body... will be my vessel to search for the Star Brooch that has long disappeared in this world."
The UFO slowly disappeared from the sky, leaving Xiao Zhen—or more accurately Chen Zhu—now back in his room, as if nothing had happened.
---
The next day...
In the classroom, Wu Lixue sat looking at the clock. Jiu Fan stared at the classroom door anxiously.
"He hasn't arrived yet?" Wu Lixue asked.
"He usually arrives on time..."
A few minutes later, Xiao Zhen walked in. His smile was wide, his posture straighter than usual. There was a strange and unusually confident aura about him.
"Hello everyone!" he greeted while waving.
Wu Lixue smiled. "You're finally here!"
"Of course, I'm Chen Zhu, the diligent child," Xiao Zhen said unconsciously.
Wu Lixue and Jiu Fan looked at each other.
"Chen Zhu? Didn't you say your name was Xiao Zhen before?" Wu Lixue asked with a raised eyebrow.
Xiao Zhen seemed to be silent for a moment. In his mind, the alien muttered in panic:
"Chen Zhu… isn't that his real name? I've read all the data, why don't they recognize this name?"
He quickly covered up the mistake.
"Ah! I mean… Xiao Zhen is my nickname. My real name is Chen Zhu, but people close to me usually call me Xiao Zhen… hehe." He laughed awkwardly.
Wu Lixue and Jiu Fan nodded slowly, although they still felt that something was odd.
---
Afternoon after school
Suddenly the sound of helicopter propellers was heard from the sky. A black helicopter with a strange symbol landed in the schoolyard. Several burly men dressed in black got off and walked towards Xiao Zhen.
"Chen… I mean, Young Master Xiao Zhen, we've come to pick you up," one of the bodyguards said with a confused face.
Xiao Zhen raised his hand. "Excuse me, but I want to walk with my friends."
They were stunned, but didn't dare to argue. Xiao Zhen ran towards Wu Lixue and Jiu Fan.
"Are you sure it's okay to walk?" Wu Lixue asked.
"Sure. Going home with you guys feels more… fun," Xiao Zhen said with a smile. That smile felt strange in Wu Lixue's eyes for some reason.
---
Arriving in front of Wu Lixue's house…
"Okay everyone, I have to go home," Wu Lixue said.
"Can I stop by your house for a while?" Xiao Zhen asked Jiu Fan.
Jiu Fan nodded, although his heart began to feel strange.
---
At Jiu Fan's house
Xiao Zhen sat on the sofa in the living room. He looked around curiously, as if it was his first time seeing a human house.
"Here's some drink, don't be shy. Make yourself at home," Jiu Fan said as he handed her a glass of orange juice.
Xiao Zhen took it and nodded stiffly.
"I have something to ask you," he said softly.
"Just ask," Jiu Fan replied.
"Do you know about a brooch... shaped like a star?" Xiao Zhen asked, his eyes staring sharply.
"Star brooch? No, I've never heard of it. Why would it be?"
"Ah, it's okay..." Xiao Zhen replied quickly. In his mind, the alien muttered:
"Strange... the brooch should be in this place. Was the information I received wrong?"
A few minutes later, Xiao Zhen got up.
"Thank you for welcoming me into your home. I should go home."
Jiu Fan nodded, but he stared at Xiao Zhen's back suspiciously.
"His behavior is really strange. It's as if… he's not the Xiao Zhen I know."
To be continued...