Chapter Six: A Leisurely Day!~

After the first transformation, Hao Yun truly enjoyed two years of peaceful days.

With nothing much to do, he stayed at home watching anime… and when money ran low, he would just withdraw some from the steady million-dollar annual funding the U.S. government deposited into his account.

When boredom hit, he could always team up with Optimus Prime to hunt down Decepticons.

Life was just that good. The only downside was the absence of a few close female confidantes—no beauties by his side…

Time passed, and finally, it was Sam Witwicky’s turn to start college.

“Uncle Potts, hurry up! I’m going to college now!” On his first day, Sam shouted loudly in Hao Yun’s yard. Hao Yun peeked out the window, chuckling to himself—he even brought his girlfriend along?

Was this to rub it in his face?

“Hello, Mikaela, long time no see,” Hao Yun said, deliberately ignoring Sam, casting a flirtatious glance at Mikaela.

Mikaela covered her mouth, smiling slyly, proudly tilting her chin at her boyfriend. The crescent-shaped gleam in her eyes spoke volumes.

Hmph, I’m not without admirers! If you dare fool around in college, I’ll become your auntie!

“Uncle Potts, stop playing around!” Sam resignedly wrapped his arms around Mikaela’s slender waist, staking his claim. Seriously, going to college was no excuse to come back with green lights flashing over his head, or for his ex to turn into his aunt—terrifying!

“Hmph, just giving you a lesson so you don’t fool around in the future.”

Compared to the somewhat shallow female lead in the third transformation, Hao Yun preferred Mikaela. At least in the first and second transformations, Mikaela and Sam had risked life and limb together, never betraying each other no matter how desperate the situation.

Though her knowledge was somewhat lacking, she was undoubtedly a virtuous wife and good mother—especially with the solid foundation of first love. Hao Yun truly couldn’t understand why the female lead was replaced in the third transformation’s movie adaptation.

Maybe the appearance fee was too high?

“I wouldn’t dare,” Sam said earnestly, “Mikaela treats me so well. If I ever wrong her, am I even human?”

“Who knows?” Mikaela teased, giving Sam’s waist a playful squeeze, their flirtatious banter leaving Hao Yun no choice but to swallow a big helping of “dog food.”

Hao Yun shook his head, lamenting the decline of manners. Well… perhaps Americans just don’t value subtlety and prefer to love and hate boldly?

“Let’s go, don’t waste time. Mikaela, come with us.”

Hao Yun came downstairs, jumped into Sam’s car—none other than the Guardian Bumblebee—and invited Mikaela along.

A flicker of unease crossed Mikaela’s mind. Wait, according to their plan from yesterday, someone needed to watch the family’s repair shop. Wasn’t she supposed to stay behind rather than escort Sam? And why wasn’t she the one getting into Bumblebee? She was Sam’s girlfriend, wasn’t she?

“Uncle Potts?”

Sam, Mikaela, and the others all looked at Hao Yun. After the first transformation, Sam had confessed to his parents about his car’s special nature and the existence of Autobots, inadvertently revealing Hao Yun’s formidable presence.

The title of “Seer” made Wei Wazi hold Hao Yun in even higher regard.

“There are some things I can’t explain. Just follow me,” Hao Yun said without elaboration, signaling Mikaela to keep up.

Exchanging glances, no one—including Mikaela—objected. “Alright!”

The two cars then headed toward Sam’s university.

Once everyone was in their vehicles, Bumblebee automatically followed Sam’s father’s car. Hao Yun then turned to Sam.

“Sam, quite a bit happened at your house this morning, didn’t it?”

“How did you know? Well, you live next door,” Sam shrugged. “I was just cleaning out my old battle clothes, and some fragments of the Spark Core fell to the ground… You know how it is—the Spark Core mostly alters Decepticons, so all our kitchen utensils turned into miniature Decepticons.”

Hao Yun leaned back, sighing softly. “Didn’t you notice anything strange? This is the first time this has happened since that war.”

“Could it be… the Decepticons are back?”

Sam sat up straight, terrified. Even Bumblebee morphed a head on the steering wheel, listening quietly to Hao Yun’s explanation.

“Of course. You don’t think the Decepticons who aim to conquer a planet are led by just one strong figure like Megatron, do you?”

Hao Yun smiled. These youngsters were still naive. Even Optimus Prime had been leader for only a short time.

“As far as I know, the highest leader of the Decepticons—the Fallen among the Twelve Supreme—has arrived on Earth and is plotting to eliminate Optimus Prime!”

“No way!” Sam was utterly stunned. “Optimus Prime is so strong, Megatron can barely hold a draw with him, but he…”

“The Fallen has lived over three thousand years! Even I would find him a challenge in single combat.”

Hao Yun reminded Sam, “Never underestimate the depth of a species, whether villain or not.”

Patting Sam’s shoulder, he said, “You’re the destined protagonist of this era, the link between Autobots and humanity. The Decepticons won’t let you off the hook if they want to break the balance. So be careful at college, and call me or Mikaela immediately if anything happens.”

“Will Mikaela be okay?” Sam panicked at the thought she might be in danger.

“Don’t worry. I’ve decided to take her as my apprentice to teach her some skills. So if something does happen, you won’t be left helpless.”

Life had been too comfortable these past two years, and Hao Yun had nearly forgotten that beyond Cybertron, formidable beings like Octane and Quintessa existed. Though Earth was just a middle-tier world, he couldn’t simply ignore it. After leaving with the Autobots, he had to leave behind a guardian for Earth.

Compared to impulsive and somewhat clueless Sam—the mascot of sorts—Hao Yun favored the resilient Mikaela.

“Uh…”

Sam was at a loss for words. He even felt a twinge of jealousy toward Mikaela. Who was Uncle Potts anyway? The one who could dismantle Megatron by hand!

To learn from him? Oh my god, why wasn’t that me?

The drive passed quickly. Hao Yun and Sam chatted briefly before arriving at the university gates.

After seeing Sam’s parents drop him off, Hao Yun pulled Mikaela aside to formally begin her apprenticeship.

“Mikaela, would you be willing to become my disciple—to protect Earth and humanity?”

Looking at Hao Yun’s sincere eyes, Mikaela’s heart swelled with joy. She had always felt insecure in front of Sam—poor at studies, with a father who had served time in jail. That was why she had suggested breaking up multiple times after Sam got into an Ivy League school.

But now, becoming a strong warrior’s apprentice would surely make Sam see her differently.

Without hesitation, she shouted three words:

“I will!”