Chapter Fourteen: Return to the Victory Team!

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(Merry Christmas! Alas, I can only spend Christmas typing away here—won’t you encourage me with a recommendation vote?!)

The car sped down the road, passed through several checkpoints, and finally entered the TPC Far East Base.

This was the first time Xie Jing had returned to base in several days. Ever since his last leave of absence, he’d been out gallivanting, completely forgetting his identity as a member of the Victory Team.

The main reason for his return this time was to bring back some data and items from the Rechulan’s spaceship, including that fascinating machine capable of reading memories.

Would TPC hand it over? Frankly, they had no choice. As an Ultraman clearly more powerful than Tiga, and with a good relationship with Daigu, Xie Jing was in a strong position. Just yesterday, Daigu had even transformed into Ultraman on his behalf. Surely the higher-ups wouldn’t be foolish enough to offend him over a single machine.

He dropped Akane Kamiji off at the research institute. She was, after all, a lead on a project—her absence wouldn’t halt progress, but she remained deeply invested in her work. Yet, when faced with a choice between duty and Xie Jing, she had chosen him.

Meanwhile, in the Victory Team’s operations room, the group was in the midst of discussing Xie Jing.

The reason was that Rina had mentioned that the one who saved her father was an Ultraman radiating a gentle light.

“Daigu, didn’t you and Yuta Fujii both receive the power of light? Tell us—between you two, who’s stronger?”

Daigu scratched his head, thought for a moment, and then replied a bit sheepishly, “He’s definitely stronger. When I entered the pyramid, I could sense he already had the power of two giants. Besides, he seemed extremely familiar with Ultraman. I’ve only witnessed his fighting skills once, but I could tell he’s formidable!”

Kuwajiri let out a disappointed sigh, slumping over the table. “Why is it that someone so strong never shows up to fight, and it’s always you, Daigu?”

“That’s not quite fair,” Daigu retorted. “He may not participate directly, but… we’ve always kept in touch. He’s told me a lot about Ultraman.”

“Then why doesn’t he fight alongside you?”

Daigu remembered the scene at dawn, when Xie Jing turned to leave—the wave of his hands, the heartfelt words of farewell.

“Happiness…”

“What?” Everyone looked at Daigu.

“Yuta once told me, the meaning of Ultraman’s existence is to defeat monsters and protect humanity. Every time we safeguard Earth’s peace, that is our happiness as Ultraman.”

“He’d rather not fight, hoping I could truly experience that happiness and understand the responsibility of being Ultraman.”

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Daigu spoke with conviction. He believed that with Xie Jing’s capability as Ultraman, he must have grand ideals, and every word and deed carried deeper meaning.

“Oh, so that’s how it is~” The group nodded in understanding.

Rina, after pondering quietly, added in a subdued voice, “Or maybe… he’s just plain lazy…”

“No way,” everyone replied, unwilling to believe it.

“If you ask me, it’s a good thing Yuta doesn’t come to the Victory Team! Did you see how he was before? Always late, lounging in a swivel chair, rolling back and forth! What would the other departments think if they saw that? What would become of our team’s reputation?” Shinjo complained in disgust.

“Though he doesn’t seem reliable, I think Yuta has a lot of personality,” commented Nozomi with a smile.

“Personality is one thing, but as members of the Victory Team, we must uphold discipline and standards—that’s what the team’s about!” Shinjo continued his tirade. “Good thing he’s on leave, or he’d damage our reputation within TPC!”

At that moment, the automatic doors opened, and a series of rolling sounds drew everyone’s attention.

Xie Jing appeared, perched on a swivel chair, propelling himself forward with his feet, rolling right into view.

“Hey, everyone’s here! Fantastic!” Xie Jing was genuinely delighted. In this unfamiliar world, seeing a few familiar faces was a joy beyond words.

Captain Megumi turned to him, her tone serious. “What’s this, vacation over already?”

“Captain, don’t be so cold.” Xie Jing somehow produced a large bag of snacks, placing them on the operations table. “These are gifts I brought for everyone. I’ve tried them all—they’re delicious. Please, help yourselves.”

“So, why are you really back?” Megumi didn’t stop him, but continued to press. “There was a monster yesterday, and you were at the scene. Today, you’re back—something’s up, isn’t it?”

“Haha, Captain, you know me best.” Xie Jing laughed awkwardly, then continued, “I do have a few things. First, I’m here to check in—as a Victory Team member. I saved the Earth yesterday, so maybe my monthly salary could use a little bump?”

“No problem!” Megumi agreed without hesitation.

“And Nozomi!” Xie Jing turned to the shy young man at the computer. “Help me out. Use all of TPC’s resources to search for any data on Outepes! I suspect he’s spreading rumors in the universe, attracting monsters to Earth!”

“Really?” All eyes were on Xie Jing.

He recounted last night’s events, altering the details so it seemed the Rechulan accidentally let slip the information.

“Nozomi, get on it! Use the Victory Team’s privileges, pull all available data on Outepes, and investigate the paths those aliens took to Earth—see if they’re all coming from the same direction!”

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“Yes!” Nozomi snapped a salute and immediately got to work.

“There’s one more thing,” Xie Jing said with a cheerful grin, looking at Megumi. “The Rechulan’s spaceship is with TPC, right? I need that memory-reading machine. But no rush—study it for now. When I need it, I’ll come collect it.”

Megumi was silent for a moment before replying, “I’ll report this to the directorate. There shouldn’t be a problem.”

With a push of his feet, Xie Jing spun around in his chair and gave Megumi a thumbs-up.

“Now that’s the Victory Team spirit!”

Megumi ignored the gesture and continued, “Anything else?”

“That’s all!” Xie Jing waved to everyone. “Goodbye, everyone! I’m off to continue my vacation!”

Halfway to the door, he turned back to look at Daigu.

He fixed Daigu with a serious gaze, his tone earnest.

“Daigu, stay in touch! As your Ultraman senior, it’s my duty to teach you the meaning of the Ultraman Heart! Only an Ultraman warrior with the Heart of Ultra can truly understand his mission!”

“Yes!” Daigu stood up straight, bowing deeply.

He knew Xie Jing’s secret, knew that Xie Jing was aware of everything yet to come. Without needing to be told, he would reach out to Xie Jing on his own.

“Alright, everyone, I’m off! Contact me via communicator if you need anything!”

With a strong push, Xie Jing’s swivel chair rolled out the door, echoing down the hallway.

He didn’t look back, leaving only the sound of rolling wheels behind—a solitary figure fading into the distance…

And only that rolling sound lingered, echoing in everyone’s ears…

PS. I have so many people to thank for supporting me when my new book launched! Whether you added me to your reading list or voted for me, there are too many to name. I’m truly moved—thank you all!