Ultraman Any Key: Qiming

Chapter 601, Section 597: In the Mountains: Did you all know? Qi Ming can transform! (Bonus Chapter, Please Vote!)
Meanwhile, at the Carlos Media Building.

Surrounded by beautiful female guests, Carlos Kurosaki held up a golden stone whose outer layer had peeled off, making it appear even smoother, and faced the camera.

"Ladies and gentlemen, look! This is the miracle I just discovered in the ancient ruins—a beautiful and mysterious treasure!"

"So, did everyone feel the romance within? This is a golden legend!"

"Besides that, there was also the battle I witnessed at the risk of my life between the righteous Ultra Warriors and the evil monsters!"

"..."

After the show ended, Carlos Kurosaki looked at his assistant with a smug expression: "How about it? The ratings have broken records, haven't they? We'll be trending on social media soon, right?"

The female assistant, looking at her phone with a serious expression, said, "It's not very realistic. Today... no, this month's trending topics are probably no match for this person. Look at the comments on the live stream just now."

Carlos Kurosaki was stunned. He glanced at the comment list and was completely dumbfounded.

"Have you heard? That Qi Ming is actually an evil monster."

"I saw that video, and I can hardly believe it. Is it really true?"

"I just had my friend check it, and the video isn't fake..."

“My child used to really like that Qi Ming, saying that when he grows up he wants to be like him, defeating a five-meter-tall alien beast with one move and protecting the earth. I don’t even dare to let my child watch the news… What if it’s really true? My child would be so disappointed.”

"It might not be true, don't get involved with Qi Ming's rumors."

"The bigger the tree, the more the wind will blow against it. I think there's something wrong with this video."

Carlos Kurosaki: "???"

What's going on? Why are they talking about things that have nothing to do with the live stream content?!
He opened social media and found that everyone was talking about Qi Ming killing children and turning into a monster.

His major discovery, announced in his live broadcast, was completely overshadowed without even causing a ripple.

Carlos Kurosaki has crashed.

Today, my hands tremble; today, my heart aches!
Why is this happening?

I risked my life, but I didn't get even a little bit of the attention I wanted. Why did God give me this kind of pain? What did I do wrong?
"My trending topics! My headlines! That damned Qi Ming!" He went into a frenzy.

The next moment, TPC called.

It was Minister Yin who called.

During the phone call, he said that the golden stone might be a key factor in defeating Seggu, and hoped that Carlos Kurosaki would hand it over to TPC for the sake of the bigger picture.

But Carlos Kurosaki, of course, wouldn't agree. He was in a fit of anger and shouted directly:
“That’s mine, don’t even think about taking it.”

"You should be thinking about how to kowtow and apologize to the whole society first! Your ace Qi Ming is a ruthless monster who kills without blinking an eye!"

"If you can't give an explanation, in everyone's eyes, you TPC members are just a bunch of monsters in human skin!"

After saying that, he hung up the phone directly.

Minister Yin on the other end of the phone nodded silently.

Since the other party ignored his ultimatum, he had no choice but to resort to drastic measures.

"Prepare for action. Seize the Golden Stone by force. Eliminate any who obstruct us." He looked at his four subordinates beside him.

These four men had previously helped him assassinate Captain Tongshan; if it weren't for Qi Ming's interference, they would definitely have succeeded.

A subordinate hesitated before speaking up: "Minister Yin, I saw a video online that said Qi Ming is..."

Minister Yin said expressionlessly, "That's not something we should be concerned about. Just carry out the orders."

..........................................

Meanwhile, after hanging up the phone, Carlos Kurosaki was considering how to minimize the damage.

Yes, we could start by making a video criticizing Qi Ming, based on current events, to demonstrate our sense of responsibility and justice as public figures.

Then, once this wave of attention has died down, bring up the matter of the golden stone again and publicize it.

Little did he know that death was approaching him.

A piercing shriek suddenly echoed from the sky as the ancient vanguard Zoga swept across the city like a shadow of death.

With the resurgence of Gatanothor, they were officially born.

They carry the will of evil gods and want to destroy everything in front of them and wipe out civilization on Earth!
With a flap of its wings, the Zoga continuously spewed out scorching fireballs from its mouth, raining down on the city below!

"boom!"

"boom!"

"boom!"

The explosions were deafening, and fireballs instantly destroyed several skyscrapers.

One of them hit the headquarters of Carlos Media!

Inside the studio, the crystal chandelier swung wildly like a pendulum, the heavy mahogany conference table broke apart with a teeth-grinding cracking sound, and the backdrop wall bearing the Carlos Media logo split open, scattering fragments everywhere.

"My building, my brand new building that I just bought!" Carlos Kurosaki's heart was bleeding.

The celebrities and guests he had invited were instantly thrown into chaos, screaming and running in all directions.

The entire building began to tilt and collapse amidst the twisting and turning of metal.

Carlos Kurosaki immediately grabbed the golden stone he had brought from the ruins and then tried to escape.

At that moment, a heavy steel beam crashed down, pinning his right leg down.

A sharp pain shot through him instantly, and he screamed in agony, struggling desperately but unable to move.

Watching the building continue to collapse, he was filled with anxiety; the shadow of death loomed over him for the first time with such real intensity.

He suddenly realized that no matter how successful he was, it was useless in the face of the terrifying monster.

How could this happen... Everything was fine just now, how could this suddenly happen!
"Where's the GUTS team...where's Ultraman! Come quick, there's a monster here!" he screamed in terror, but received no response. His consciousness gradually blurred amidst the excruciating pain and despair, and a single thought gnawed at his last shred of sanity like a venomous snake.

If I hadn't taken that stone from the altar, would the monster that defeated Seven and Black Orb have never appeared?

Are those two Ultramen here to save me now?
The next moment, a huge block of concrete fell from above and hit him on the head.

Carlos Kurosaki's shouts stopped abruptly, his body went limp, and his eyes widened.

He died with immense regret, his eyes wide open in disbelief.

The tightly clenched hands loosened helplessly, and the golden stone slipped from them, rolling slowly down the sloping floor into the depths of the ruins.

"boom!"

With a deafening roar and billowing dust, the Carlos Media Building collapsed completely, burying Carlos Kurosaki and everything he owned deep within it.

Thick clouds of smoke billowed into the sky, swallowing all the cries and pleas for help.

Half a minute later, Minister Yin and his four subordinates arrived at the scene by helicopter. They looked at the ruins with blank expressions.

Where are the people we're supposed to kill?
..........................................

At the same time, in the TPC cafeteria.

The Victory Team is having a meal in the mountains.

I just went out to look for "abnormal fluctuations," but after spending most of the day I found nothing, so I came back to replenish my physical and mental exhaustion with food.

At that moment, the cafeteria's television began broadcasting the big news that Junko Samejima had released.

Upon seeing the scenes of Qi Ming killing children and turning into monsters, he was stunned on the spot, his mouth involuntarily opening, and the meat he had just eaten rolled back into his bowl.

“I don’t believe his teammates on the winning team didn’t know about this. They must have known perfectly well and were covering for him.”

"TPC has become a puppet of the monsters, expanding its power in the name of protecting humanity. When the time is right, it will enslave all of humanity!"

The television continued playing Junko Samejima's vehement accusations, pulling him back to reality.

"Slap!" Yamanaka immediately slapped himself repeatedly.

An acquaintance who was dining at the same table with him immediately stopped him: "Mountain team member, what's wrong with you? Mountain team member, don't do this!"

"I'm fine, I was just checking if I was conscious." Yamanaka looked on incredulously: "Qi Ming turning into a monster? How could such a thing happen?"

"You...don't know?" the acquaintance asked.

“He…didn’t say,” Yamanaka replied.

At this moment, other TPC employees dining in the cafeteria also saw the news, causing an uproar.

Some people were bewildered, some were disappointed, and some believed Junko Samejima's accusations and felt indignant.

"What? Qi Ming is a cruel monster in disguise? Is it true?"

"I've met him, and he even smiled at me. I thought he was a nice person, so how could this happen..."

"That doesn't make sense. If he really is a cruel monster, why would he help us fight against those aliens who want to invade Earth?"

"Foolish! Because he also wants to invade Earth, and those aliens are his competitors."

"I never imagined he was hiding so well, and that his true colors were so terrifying... It's a good thing he was exposed."

Shan Zhong didn't like hearing this, and he slammed his fist on the table and stood up:

"Shut up, all of you! Stop talking nonsense!"

“I’ve known Qi Ming for so long, I know what kind of person he is.”

"Although he is always arrogant, he will definitely step up when innocent people need help."

"At least if you don't provoke him, he won't come after you. There's definitely something wrong with the part where he killed the child."

"Even if he really is a monster... it's a monster that will help us humans. Haven't there been monsters like that before?"

A TPC member who strongly agrees with Qi Ming eagerly pressed, "So you mean that the video you just saw was fake?"

Yamanaka: "There must be something fake. For example, the story about 'the GUTS teammates knowing about this and covering for him' is fake."

"Qi Ming didn't say anything, and none of us knew about this beforehand."

"That Junko Samejima is a fugitive from TPC. How can you believe what a fugitive says?"

After saying that, he didn't even bother to eat and ran towards the TPC command center.

He needed to share this insider information with everyone as soon as possible!
Upon opening the door to the command room, Shan Zhong discovered that all the other members, except for Qi Ming, were gathered there.

Their faces were solemn as they discussed something in hushed tones, the air thick with the oppressive atmosphere of an impending storm.

"Everyone, did you know that Qi Ming can actually transform into a monster!" Yamanaka exclaimed excitedly.

Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at him, their gazes deep and unsettling.

Yamanaka: "?"

On everyone's faces, he saw speechlessness, sympathy, and Kishida, who was trying to suppress a laugh with a straight face...

I just didn't see any shock or disbelief from the public regarding this news.

Yamanaka: "What...what do you all mean by this?"

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Today, I'm delivering a 11,000-word update at midnight!

Expecting a massive update and lots of monthly votes!
Reach the pinnacle of spirituality and live a second life!

(End of this chapter)