Chapter Fifteen: Opening a Shop?

The Victory Team acted swiftly. By the next day, while Xie Jing was still lying in bed asleep, the news had already arrived.

So far, eight monsters had appeared on Earth. Apart from the Leiqiu Lan aliens, there had been no particular focus on the others, and absolutely no information about Outepes had been obtained.

However, from Youling, they received a different answer.

Soon after, a video was sent over.

Youling’s figure was as indistinct and fragmented as ever, but the voice came through clearly.

"Outepes, the enemy of light, a semi-cosmic embodiment of darkness, was defeated by the King of Ultra two thousand years ago and vanished into the cosmos..."

"Even the King of Ultra couldn't kill it... It must be truly powerful!" Xie Jing rubbed his chin, deep in thought.

Who was the King of Ultra? One of the mysterious Four Ultras, the supreme leader of the Land of Light, king of the Ultramen!

If even such an ancient being couldn't kill Outepes, Xie Jing figured that if he went up against it now, he’d probably be flicked to death by Outepes’ little finger.

The video continued playing, though the audio became too garbled to understand. Only the final sentence snapped Xie Jing to full attention.

"…Grievously wounded and untreated… Outepes cannot act autonomously… its strength has been drastically diminished…"

"As expected, the King of Ultra's power was terrifying. Outepes is still alive, but its combat ability is almost zero!"

After that, there was a burst of static, then Youling’s image disappeared, and Ye Run appeared on the screen.

"This is all the information we could find for now. There are still some texts on ancient stone carvings we haven’t deciphered. Once we do, we’ll see if there’s any more news!"

"Alright, thank you!" Xie Jing nodded with a smile and then turned off the communicator.

If Outepes really was the target of his lucky mission, then he could confirm one thing: even as he was now, he still stood a chance against it—at least in a straightforward one-on-one fight.

But, he thought, Outepes was surely the mastermind behind the scenes and would be guarded by bodyguards, which certainly complicated things.

Moreover, though Youling had said so much, there was still no word of Outepes’ hiding place.

The universe was so vast, it was impossible to search for it alone.

He needed to think of another way!

After ten seconds of pondering, Xie Jing decided he’d already killed enough brain cells for the day. Shaking his head to dismiss the lingering thoughts, he closed his eyes, intending to drift back to sleep.

There was, after all, a very important matter to attend to later!

...

At two in the afternoon, Akane Kamiji drove, carrying a still yawning Xie Jing, into Ginza, the most coveted commercial district in all of Japan.

As one of the world’s most famous commercial areas, every inch of Ginza was worth a fortune and shopfronts were notoriously hard to secure.

All the prime locations had long been purchased by major corporations. Even the remaining corners demanded outrageously high rents.

But Xie Jing had no choice.

Ever since Akane Kamiji began idolizing Tiga, she’d pestered Xie Jing about opening an Ultraman-themed merchandise shop. Opening in Akihabara simply wouldn’t do—she insisted on distinguishing themselves from the virtual character stores.

So she set her sights on Ginza.

Fortunately, neither family lacked resources. Akane Kamiji’s family owned a renowned hotel group in Japan, with her as the heir of Kamiji Corporation. As for Xie Jing, knowledge was power; his unique pneumatic device had already gone into mass production, and the annual patent fees alone were more than he could count.

Even with money, securing a shopfront in Ginza wasn’t easy. After many efforts and even some government intervention, they finally obtained a tiny store—just twenty square meters.

"Wow, this is my shop!" Akane Kamiji hopped inside, then dashed back out to drag Xie Jing from the car.

"You’re helping me with the renovations! Okay?!" Akane’s wide eyes blinked pleadingly at Xie Jing.

"No!" Xie Jing was annoyed. Dragged out of his comfortable bed so early, he was in a foul mood.

"Such a beautiful, sunny day with singing birds and fragrant flowers—perfect weather for sleeping! Why bother with renovations? I’ll pay for the best people to do it!"

"NO!" Akane shook her head fiercely, hands on hips, glaring at him.

"I want you to do it with me! All you do is sleep—don’t you ever get tired of it?!"

"If I don’t sleep and recharge, how will I protect Earth next time?" Xie Jing rolled his eyes and shook his head.

Ah, girls just don’t know how hard it is to be Ultraman!

"It’s not you protecting Earth! You’re not Ultraman!" Akane turned away, ignoring him.

Planning to surprise her someday, Xie Jing pursed his lips. "Alright, alright! Here’s the deal: we’ll design the layout together, and I’ll go with you to the factory to discuss the designs and patterns for the merchandise. Is that fair?"

"Mm..." Akane thought it over. Deciding not to push her suddenly much lazier boyfriend too hard, she nodded, a smile breaking across her face.

"That’s settled then. When we get home, we’ll finalize the design! I want you to draw!"

"Fine, I’ll draw," Xie Jing replied, resigned.

...

Another week slipped by quietly. In Japan, apart from a commonplace earthquake, there was nothing unusual, and the Victory Team found themselves with time to spare.

Once they learned that Xie Jing had opened an Ultraman merchandise shop in Ginza, each one insisted on coming by to offer congratulations.

In the end, Captain Megumi made an executive decision—if they were going, they’d all go!

Cheering, everyone hurried to change into their casual clothes.

Riding into Ginza, one would never guess from their fierce and self-sacrificing demeanor in battle that, in reality, their salaries were barely above those of ordinary office workers. Ginza was a place where a month’s pay might not even buy a single piece of clothing.

After three street corners, the Victory Team finally spotted Xie Jing’s Ultraman merchandise store.

Amidst the luxury boutiques, this little shop selling collectables stood out distinctly. Many of the neighboring store owners came to investigate, curious which wealthy young man was behind such a venture. Upon learning Xie Jing’s name, they could only marvel at the unconventional ideas of high-IQ talents.

The shop’s decor was simple. Upon entering, a forty-inch screen looped footage of Tiga’s battles, while glass display cases showcased Tiga figurines and plush pillows.

On another side, figurines of other Ultramen were displayed.

Anyone from modern times would instantly recognize the likes of the Original Ultraman, Jack, Seven, Dyna, Gaia—names familiar to every household.

Each figure was uniquely styled, all drawn by Xie Jing himself. As a child of the nineties, these childhood memories were impossible for him to forget.

Lounging casually in a swivel chair, sipping tea, Xie Jing merely raised his hand in greeting as the others came in.

Akane Kamiji, on the other hand, was full of enthusiasm, serving tea and pouring water. Daigu’s eyes even sparkled with excitement, notebook in hand, asking for autographs.

Xie Jing paid it no mind—he knew Akane was simply an admirer. Daigu, though, kept glancing at Rina, then at Xie Jing, awkwardly signing autograph after autograph.