Chapter 81: A Gift for the Celestial Empire

Listening to the solemn declarations of the Japanese leadership, insisting he represent their nation in establishing diplomatic relations with Ultraman, Nagatake could only think: How could such a pack of fools ever be in charge? Damn it, even I could do this job.

But the moment of doubt was short-lived; Nagatake’s worldview shattered in the next instant. Ultraman was real! The video footage provided by various countries, captured from all angles, confirmed Ultraman’s existence beyond question.

It made Nagatake wonder: Could the founding president of Tsuburaya Productions really have known Ultraman, and thus created the character? Soon, excitement surged within him. If the founder could befriend Ultraman, so could he. If he truly managed to become friends with Ultraman, Tsuburaya Productions would reach new heights, and he, Nagatake, would surely go down in history.

The temptation was overwhelming. Without hesitation, Nagatake accepted the mission, promising to accomplish it.

Upon returning, Nagatake began investigating the life of Tsuburaya’s founder, reaching out to his descendants in hopes of examining every relic left behind—perhaps he could find a clue. Yet, aside from some old Ultraman sketches, nothing useful turned up. Nagatake cursed Tsuburaya under his breath, certain he must have destroyed anything revealing, just to keep it secret from his heirs.

Still, complaining was pointless. The task was his now.

With no other options, Nagatake decided to take a gamble. He offered money to Mark for a transaction, expressing his desire to go into space and find Ultraman. Mark was a big player too; he already knew about Ultraman’s appearance and was monitoring the situation closely. Hearing that Nagatake wanted to go into space, Mark offered him a fifty percent discount.

As the saying goes, plant a seed of friendship in summer, reap a benefit in autumn. If Nagatake succeeded in establishing diplomatic relations with Ultraman, Mark would also make history—perhaps he’d be among the first able to settle in the cosmos, gaining interstellar trade rights.

Thus, the space plan kicked off overnight, ablaze with activity.

Meanwhile, Zhang Kai had no idea he was being watched by nations around the globe. Not that it mattered; he’d never intended to hide his actions. At present, Earth’s countries posed no threat to him, so Zhang Kai was focused entirely on constructing his own star base.

The Elysium Zone—a vast area, capable of accommodating tens of thousands of inhabitants without the slightest strain. Over centuries of upgrades, its infrastructure was complete, boasting powerful defenses and cosmic combat capabilities. It had become a true habitation in the stars.

With this, even if Earth were destroyed, Zhang Kai would not fear for survival in space. But living in the cosmos was only the beginning; the real goal was to forge a cultivation base among the stars.

His golden finger was useless outside Earth.

So, once the base was ready, Zhang Kai returned to the atmosphere. Using his phone, he extracted rare treasures from various movie worlds.

Most of all, he brought out exotic flowers and herbs, spiritual fruits and ginseng, and when he retrieved them, he took their entire growing grounds. Then, he pushed them out into the stars, transporting them to the Elysium Zone.

Once there, these items, which had been suppressed on Earth, regained much of their power in space. Clearly, so long as they weren’t in the atmosphere, they remained unaffected.

This motivated Zhang Kai, who buried dozens of Five-Element Spirit Beads beneath the rare plants and fruits, nourishing them with spiritual energy.

Gradually, spiritual energy began to appear in the Elysium Zone. Though still thin, it was a promising beginning. It meant that where there was a loophole, he could exploit it—just as any man would.

After working for ages, Zhang Kai finally rested, sitting atop a high platform, sipping tea from a pot he’d swindled from the North Yin, absorbing traces of Dao and slowly advancing in cultivation.

Perhaps he wouldn’t need to become a divine being on Earth; he could break through to immortality among the stars. To live forever, free from the pitfalls of the world—wouldn’t that be delightful?

Lost in pleasant thoughts, Zhang Kai’s gaze suddenly paused, turning toward the moon. Just now, he’d inadvertently spotted a flash of crimson light there, fleeting and gone in an instant.

With his spiritual power, illusions were impossible. Something was wrong on the moon.

He pondered.

Without hesitation, Zhang Kai left the Elysium Zone and flew toward the moon. The distance was not far; in moments, he arrived.

Suspended in mid-air, he looked down upon a massive crater, dozens of kilometers across. On Earth, it would have been a vast lake; here, it was empty.

But within the crater, Zhang Kai detected a foreign aura.

It was demon energy!

The aura was somewhat similar to Lady Willow’s, but purer.

Could this place be the entrance to the demon realm?

Zhang Kai mused.

Just then, sensing something, he turned to see a spacecraft landing nearby.

Looking closely, Zhang Kai grinned. Wasn’t that a lunar probe from his own country? It seemed his nation was beginning to venture into the cosmos, seeking resources.

But their progress was so slow. Developing the moon would take decades.

Well, since that’s the case, let me lend you a hand.

Leaping down, Zhang Kai flattened a lunar hill, lifted it, and flew back toward Earth.

The major powers monitoring Zhang Kai immediately noticed the activity and watched in confusion.

What was this supposed to mean?

Could the probe have angered Ultraman, prompting retaliation? If a stone that size fell, the destruction would be unimaginable!

For a moment, all observers were anxious, afraid that Ultraman might act differently than portrayed in Japanese films.

The leadership in his country was urgently deliberating.

If Ultraman really targeted them, wouldn’t it be humiliating? They’d always been friendly, hadn’t they?

Soon, Zhang Kai approached Earth, landing within the borders of his own homeland.

This only heightened the leadership’s anxiety.

Other nations, meanwhile, were gleeful.

“Look, his country’s finished now!”

But soon, foreign leaders were stunned.

Ultraman didn’t drop the boulder; he landed in a wilderness, set it down, and carved a line of text into it with his hand.

Many who couldn’t read the language hurriedly snapped photos and sent them for translation.

Before long, the meaning emerged, and foreign officials felt a pang in their hearts.

“Fate has brought us together; here’s a gift. If you need anything, leave your phone number.”

Ultraman used an Earth phone?

Wasn’t he living on Earth?

The leadership in his homeland was overjoyed.

Such a massive load of lunar soil and stone—how many trips to the moon would it take to collect that? How much money did this save?

Ultraman, friendship forever!

Meanwhile, Japan was furious.

Ultraman was their friend!

How could he deliver lunar resources to another country?

They wanted some too.

This could not stand; their rival could not profit alone.

Thus, Japanese leaders began incessantly urging Nagatake to restore their friendship with Ultraman, hoping their nation could soon reach space as well.

Nagata was tormented by the pressure.

He felt like he’d need a rocket up his backside.

A bunch of fools had everything except brains.