Ben10: A Romantic Adventure with a Gender-Swapped Class

A heavy silence, a mixture of shock, sadness, and a touch of helplessness, filled the air.

The news of Vito Valida's death came too suddenly and strangely, like a cold boulder pressing on everyone's hearts.

The janitor, immersed in grief, was clearly unable to provide any further useful information about the chip or the truth.

Staying any longer would only increase the awkwardness and sadness between us.

They exchanged a silent glance, and the group tacitly chose to leave.

Heavy footsteps sounded again, stepping over the shattered pieces of the kicked-away door, and leaving behind this empty place filled only with sorrow and mystery.

The roar of engines replaced the deathly silence of the laboratory.

Two cars—one driven by Kevin and Xiaowen, and the other by Mobai and Xiaoban—speeded along a road leading to the unknown.

The green light on the vehicle communication device was on, seamlessly connecting the two compartments together.

Xiaowen's voice came through the communicator, breaking the silence in the carriage with a hint of hesitation and inquiry.

"So...should we go to that cemetery first?"

Sitting in the passenger seat of the white car, Xiao Ban looked out the window at the blurry street scene rushing past.

She was silent for a few seconds, as if weighing something, then leaned slightly forward and spoke clearly and calmly into the communication microphone on the dashboard.

“We’ll see,” she paused, her tone carrying an undeniable determination, “but first, we need to go somewhere.”

The vehicle weaved through the city's network, eventually leaving the bustling urban area and heading towards the more open countryside.

The destination was not the desolate cemetery I had imagined, but a wide-open area with sparse vegetation.

There, their old friend was docked—the spaceship jokingly called "Old Broken Car No. 2".

The hatch slid open with a hiss, and everyone filed in.

The familiar smell of engine oil mixed with some kind of interstellar dust wafted out from inside the spaceship.

The engine started, emitting a deep and powerful hum, and the hull vibrated slightly.

"Old Broken Car No. 2" broke free from Earth's gravity, tore through the clouds, and rapidly ascended toward a specific coordinate—the School of Hydropower Engineering.

The purpose of this trip is clear and urgent: to find Elena.

After a long journey, the group finally arrived at their destination.

This is a hydroelectric engineering college, and the person they are looking for is Elena's former teacher, a little Gavin alien.

Mo Bai and the others followed closely behind this Gavinian, strolling through the academy's corridors.

Along the way, Gavin the alien gave a brief account of Elena's past.

He mentioned that Elena had always had outstanding grades at the academy and was a highly regarded student.

However, fate played a cruel joke on her.

Elena's sudden death from her father, Vito Valida, devastated her and made it impossible for her to concentrate on her studies.

Overwhelmed with grief, Elena decides to abandon her studies, follow in her father's footsteps, and return to Earth to continue her research on chips.

It is no exaggeration to say that Elena is the person on Earth who understands chips the most thoroughly.

This is one of the reasons why Xiao Ban insisted on coming to see Elena first.

Guided by the Gavinians, the group arrived at the door of a hidden warehouse on Earth.

This time, Kevin crossed his arms and leaned against the cold wall, making a slight rubbing sound.

Xiaowen stood quietly to the side, her fingertips unconsciously twirling a strand of hair that had fallen down.

The little boy's eyes were sharp as a hawk's, fixed on the tightly closed door, as if he could see through the heavy door to see what was happening inside.

Finally, it was Mo Bai who stepped forward.

His tall figure cast a shadow in front of the door, and his hand, with its distinct knuckles, seemed hesitant at the moment, was raised.

There was no heavy pounding or impatient urging; he simply bent his knuckles and gently, rhythmically, tapped three times on the smooth, cold door with the back of his fingers.

"Knock, knock, knock"

First, there was a faint rustling sound of clothes rubbing together from inside the door, followed by the soft click of the door lock turning.

The heavy door was not fully open, but only a narrow crack was pulled inward.

A familiar face cautiously peeked out from behind the door—it was Elena.

Her bright eyes were now filled with vigilance, like a startled fawn, quickly scanning the various figures standing outside the door.

Her gaze was scrutinizing and wary, as if she were confirming whether the visitor outside the door harbored ill intentions.

However, when her gaze finally settled on Mo Bai's face, who stood tall and straight at the front, that layer of icy vigilance melted away instantly, like thin ice under the warm spring sun!

An irrepressible joy, like a newly blossoming flower, quickly spread and bloomed on the corners of her mouth.

That smile was so bright it was almost dazzling, dispelling all the gloom.

"Mo Bai!" A joyful exclamation escaped her lips.

Immediately afterwards, she forcefully pulled the door open with a "whoosh"!

Elena didn't even glance at anyone else. Like a light butterfly, carrying a faint scent mixed with disinfectant and some kind of chemical agent, she pounced on Mo Bai, who was standing at the door, without hesitation!

She opened her arms, about to wrap them around his waist.

This sudden, enthusiastic hug caught Mo Bai off guard.

He froze for a moment, his mind seemingly going blank.

Almost reflexively, his two arms, which had been hanging naturally at his sides, suddenly shot up, raising them high above his head as if in surrender, the movement stiff and somewhat comical.

He tried to straighten his body, attempting to create a small distance between himself and Elena to avoid any unnecessary physical contact, his face filled with helplessness.

After making this defensive move, he subconsciously, with a hint of pleading for help, turned his head to look behind him.

Upon closer inspection, they met the eyes of the little boy, which were practically spitting fire!

She stood there, her hands clenched into fists and hanging at her sides, her knuckles slightly white from the force.

Her once lovely face was now tense, her brows furrowed into a knot, and her lips pressed into a cold, hard line.

That gaze, like a sharp arrow tempered with ice, or a volcano about to erupt, was filled with an intense jealousy and undisguised murderous intent, fixed firmly on Mo Bai, as if it wanted to poke holes in him with its eyes!

Xiao Ban took a deep breath, his chest heaving violently, as if forcibly suppressing the bitterness and anger surging in his heart.

She walked forward with noticeably forceful steps, until she reached the two people who were pressed tightly together (or rather, Mo Bai stiffly avoided her).

Then, she extended her index finger and, with her neatly trimmed, rounded nail, poked Elena's shoulder lightly and gently, one tap at a time, with a hint of warning and assertion of dominance.

"Hey," she said, her voice low but carrying a cold, hard quality.

Elena, who was immersed in the joy of reunion, was awakened by the poking. She opened her eyes in a daze and turned her head to look at the person who poked her.

When she met Xiao Ban's face, which was burning with anger and furrowed brows, she instantly understood—the intense, almost tangible jealousy hit her, instantly sobering her up.

“Ahem,” Xiao Ban cleared his throat, deliberately raising his voice a little, with undisguised teasing and a hint of sharpness, looking directly at Elena as he spoke, word by word.

"Miss, would you please find a boyfriend to hug you?"

These blunt and barbed words were like a bucket of cold water poured on Elena's enthusiasm.

Her smile froze instantly, then turned into an embarrassed blush.

The arms that were wrapped around Mo Bai loosened abruptly, as if they had been burned.

She took a small, unnatural step back, her eyes darting away from Xiao Ban's oppressive gaze and Mo Bai's embarrassed expression. Her voice was hurried and stiff as she tried to change the subject.

"Uh... um... please come in!" She stepped aside to make way for the doorway, raising her hand to tuck a stray hair behind her ear, trying to hide her embarrassment. "I'll show you around!"